logo
Cruz Hewitt fumes at his tennis legend dad, Lleyton, as the young Aussie star suffers hot-tempered Wimbledon defeat

Cruz Hewitt fumes at his tennis legend dad, Lleyton, as the young Aussie star suffers hot-tempered Wimbledon defeat

Daily Mail​08-07-2025
Cruz Hewitt took his frustrations out on former Wimbledon champion dad, Lleyton, during a hot-tempered second-round defeat in the boys singles.
Australian Lleyton, who won the title in 2002, was on Court 5 to support his 16-year-old son as he fell to a 6-3, 6-0 to 11th seed to Oskari Paldanius.
As the match slipped away from Cruz, the youngster got increasingly agitated towards his father, gesturing in his direction after almost every point – once even appearing to accuse Hewitt senior, who sat motionless under a cap and sunglasses for most of the contest, of 'acting for the cameras'.
At one point after Lleyton, sporting a backwards cap in true Hewitt family fashion, tried to give him some words of wisdom from the side of court, Cruz responded: 'I tried that!'.
Another piece of advice prompted the youngster to walk away shaking his head.
When he hit one strong winner in the second set, he turned immediately to his dad and prodded his finger into his own chest.
Cruz fired back at his team multiple times on the court on Tuesday, as they tried to offer up words of support and advice to help the youngster progress
After his team tried to reassure him that everything was 'fine' as he faced break point at 3-0 in the second set, he snapped back: 'It's not fine, it's nearly four-love!'
How different it was from the start of this tie when he took the second point of the match and produced a trademark Hewitt fist pump towards his team.
'Here you go, mate, all day!' Lleyton roared when Cruz, already in the top 50 junior ranks, broke back in the opening set.
'Great spots mate,' he cried at another winning point.
How different, too, to Cruz's opening-round where he obliterated Russian Savva Rybkin 6-1, 6-2 inside 51 minutes.
'Dad was proud, it was great to have him there,' Cruz told The Sydney Morning Herald after his win.
'It was a great feeling.
'I've watched my dad play here for many years, and I've always wanted to play on these courts, so I was enjoying every moment.
Hewitt (pictured) was beaten 6-3, 6-0 by 11th seed Oskari Paldanius. Despite the loss, he had gotten off to a fast start in the match, fist-bumping the air after taking the second point
'He just said: 'Now you can finally play on the courts and enjoy it', so it was a great day.
'There is nothing you can do about [who your dad is].
It's a little tough, but there are pros and cons, and you've just got to focus on the positives that come with it, so that's what I try and do.'
Hewitt's victory followed his victory over world No 5 Jagger Leach, two years his senior and son of former Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport, at Roehampton a week ago.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NRL star Brandon Smith questioned by Queensland police after arriving at Gold Coast airport
NRL star Brandon Smith questioned by Queensland police after arriving at Gold Coast airport

Daily Mail​

time13 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

NRL star Brandon Smith questioned by Queensland police after arriving at Gold Coast airport

South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker Brandon Smith was pulled aside and questioned by police after landing on the Gold Coast with his teammates. Smith, 29, was interviewed by police at Coolangatta on Saturday afternoon shortly after arriving on his flight from Sydney, News Corp reports. Rabbitohs boss Blake Solly said the player was with teammates on Saturday evening at a Broadbeach hotel, but gave no details about the side's airport arrival. Queensland Police released a statement on the matter, revealing: 'Queensland Police had cause to speak to a 29-year-old male at Coolangatta Airport. 'The male was later released without charge. Police have no further information to provide.' There's no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the popular player, who is expected to perform against the Titans on Sunday afternoon. The upcoming match has been coined 'spoon bowl', with both sides having dismal seasons. A win would lift the Rabbitohs off the foot of the ladder and jump their opponents. Second-rower Jacob Host said ahead of Sunday that Bennett had banned the words 'wooden spoon' in the locker room. 'It's a word we are not allowed to say,' Host said. 'He just avoids it at all costs. We've had a lot of injuries this year. 'We're just trying to go out there, keep the gloves up and keep fighting every week.' Latrell Mitchell, meantime, got through two thirds of Thursday's training session after he was named on the extended bench. Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham were also seen running, with Host confirming they are 'only a few weeks away'.

Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round
Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round

Glasgow Times

timean hour ago

  • Glasgow Times

Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round

The British number one marked her first match since Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig joined her team with a confident 6-3 6-2 victory. Roig may not have been overly impressed when Raducanu was broken to love in the first game, but the 2021 US Open champion responded well. After four breaks of serve between the pair in the opening six games, Raducanu came from 30-0 down to grab another for 5-3. She had won seven points in a row to bring up three set points and took the first with an ace. In the second, Raducanu gave her Serbian opponent nothing for free, drawing out errors and eventually earning a break for 3-2. She did not drop another game, wrapping up a fine victory in an hour and 20 minutes. The 22-year-old could face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in a repeat of her narrow Wimbledon defeat last month. Raducanu claimed a confident 6-3 6-2 victory on Saturday (Christinne Muschi/AP) Earlier, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek eased through with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Anastasia Potapova. Australian Open champion Madison Keys saved two match points before beating Eva Lys 1-6 6-3 7-6 (1). In the ATP draw Jannik Sinner, playing his first match since claiming a maiden Wimbledon title, dismantled Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1 6-1.

Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round
Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round

Leader Live

timean hour ago

  • Leader Live

Emma Raducanu claims straight-sets win to reach Cincinnati Open third round

The British number one marked her first match since Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig joined her team with a confident 6-3 6-2 victory. Roig may not have been overly impressed when Raducanu was broken to love in the first game, but the 2021 US Open champion responded well. After four breaks of serve between the pair in the opening six games, Raducanu came from 30-0 down to grab another for 5-3. Strong WIN for @EmmaRaducanu at @CincyTennis 💙 Emma takes down Olga Danilović 6-3, 6-2 to make the third round!#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @WTA — LTA (@the_LTA) August 9, 2025 She had won seven points in a row to bring up three set points and took the first with an ace. In the second, Raducanu gave her Serbian opponent nothing for free, drawing out errors and eventually earning a break for 3-2. She did not drop another game, wrapping up a fine victory in an hour and 20 minutes. The 22-year-old could face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in a repeat of her narrow Wimbledon defeat last month. Earlier, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek eased through with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Anastasia Potapova. Australian Open champion Madison Keys saved two match points before beating Eva Lys 1-6 6-3 7-6 (1). In the ATP draw Jannik Sinner, playing his first match since claiming a maiden Wimbledon title, dismantled Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1 6-1.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store