Cruz Hewitt's remarkable feat amid bid to follow in footsteps of tennis legend father Lleyton
The 15-year-old is attempting to forge a successful tennis career of his own.
Cruz Hewitt has hit a purple patch of form as he strives to follow in father Lleyton's footsteps and forge a professional tennis career of his own. The 15-year-old Cruz won the NSW Junior Open in Sydney over the weekend - the second ITF tournament he's won in a row.
Cruz has now won nine matches in a row and is starting to gain the valuable big-match experience that appeared to be lacking when he played the Australian Open junior boys tournament in January. Cruz didn't drop a single set as he claimed the NSW Open title - the sixth of his career on the ITF circuit (the level below the ATP Tour).
The 15-year-old is attempting to emulate father Lleyton, who is one of Australia's greatest tennis players. Lleyton made it to World No.1 and won two grand slam singles titles, and Cruz is hoping to forge a successful career of his own.
In January he earned entry into the junior boys tournament at the Australian Open, and in May he was selected for his junior Davis Cup debut. Cruz was no match for Alexander Razeghi at the Australian Open, but he gained some valuable experience in front of what proved to be a big crowd.
"I'm just unbelievably proud, to be honest," Lleyton said on Channel 9 ahead of Cruz's match on the same court where he made his main draw debut in 1997. "It's just a really special moment, my first ever main draw match at the Australian Open was actually out on Show Court 3 as well.
"He's been around the traps, but he's worked extremely hard to get this opportunity. He is playing well, but he is still very young. This is all a learning experience and that's what the junior event is all about. He's been fortunate enough to get a wildcard and hopefully, he goes out there and has a lot of fun."
Cruz Hewitt urged to forge his own path in professional tennis
The scouting reports from Cruz's first few years on the junior circuit are that he probably doesn't possess the same talent that Lleyton did at the same age. But according to leading sports psychologist Alan Mantle, that shouldn't stop Cruz from trying to forge his own path.
Mantle has worked with members of famous sporting families and has a clear message for those treading its potentially treacherous path. "Don’t let other people's expectations define you. They're external factors you have no control over," he told Yahoo Sport Australia.
"The name and people's comparisons to your famous mother or father is not going to go away – it’s how you choose to handle it. Use your father or mother's ability and talent to help model you as an individual but don’t copy. It's about finding what works best for you as an individual and doing something you love rather than doing something others would love you to do."
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The likes of Cooper Johns and Austin Waugh have struggled with the intense spotlight of being the sons of famous Aussie sporting figures. Cooper Johns is the son of NRL great Matthew, while Austin Waugh's father is cricket legend Steve.
Austin Waugh is back playing cricket after taking a break from the game in recent years, while Cooper Johns has called his NRL career quits and feels he's better suited to the media. "It's a little bit tough as there are a lot of people out there who will judge me on (my name), but I don't let it faze me," Cooper said earlier this year. "I like the burden. I'd never wish that I didn't have that burden. I like the expectation to live up to. That's what keeps driving me to try to be the best player I can be."
