Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur will face his 17-year-old protege Cruz Hewitt in the second round of the Washington Open early Friday in Washington, DC.
De Minaur set up the match after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday.
Hewitt, the son of former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, reached the ATP 500 main draw using a qualifying wildcard before defeating 85th-ranked American Marcos Giron.
The victory continues Hewitt's strong momentum following his appearance in the Wimbledon boys' final last month.
Close Bond On and Off Court
De Minaur is closely connected to the teenager through Lleyton Hewitt, who serves as the Australian Davis Cup captain and regularly assists Team Demon at major tournaments.
The two players train together, support each other from the sidelines, and regularly share Christmas celebrations.
Before the second-round matchup was set, Hewitt spoke about his long-standing personal relationship with de Minaur. "He's like my older brother.
I've known him basically my whole life," said Hewitt.
Hewitt detailed their close personal bond off the court, including spending holidays together. "He's stayed with us.
We have Christmas together also.
He's taught me so much – I think that would be a pretty cool memory for us," said Hewitt.
Handling the Spotlight
De Minaur addressed the unique expectations placed on the young Australian as the son of a former world champion.
"I think there's got to be a lot of respect shown to [Cruz] because it's definitely not easy being an ex-No.1 in the world's son," said de Minaur, world No. 6 tennis player.
De Minaur noted that the high level of scrutiny began early in Hewitt's tennis career.
"Ever since he started [and] picked up the racquet … the expectation, the eyeballs, the spotlight was already on him.
It's not easy when there is that kind of weight behind your surname," said de Minaur.
The world No. 6 added that the teenager has shown significant growth in handling his professional development independently.
"I think what he's done an incredible job of is maturing, getting a good head on his shoulders and becoming his own player," said de Minaur.
De Minaur highlighted that Hewitt's recent tournament achievements confirm his spot at the professional level. "Having these results [shows] that he deserves to be where he is.
I think he's a great kid, he's been doing great, and I think Lleyton has done an incredible job as his father and helping him out whenever he can," said de Minaur.
He credited the family's support system for contributing to the teenager's progress.
"They've created a great atmosphere, and that's led to him being a very good tennis player," said de Minaur.
The teenager also shared his perspective on managing the pressure of carrying a famous tennis surname. "I try to deal with it as best I can," said Hewitt.
He emphasized focusing on the advantages while continuing to advance his career.
"Obviously, there is still pressure, but I try to take the positive that comes with it as well.
I'm happy with how I'm dealing with it so far," said Hewitt.
De Minaur Moves Past Wimbledon Loss
De Minaur made a separate reference to public reactions following a previous loss at Wimbledon.
"I don't think it was warranted, as much as a lot of people – myself included – wanted to make a big deal out of it," said de Minaur.
He explained that he quickly moved past the setback to prepare for upcoming events.
"It became a really big thing, but realistically, it took me a couple of days to get over it.
They were just the same feelings and emotions that any athlete has after a tough loss. Now, I'm feeling great," said de Minaur.
The Washington Open breakout guarantees Hewitt's ATP ranking will rise into the 360s from outside the top 600.
Meanwhile, de Minaur returns to defend his title in Washington after recently marrying British tennis player Katie Boulter, while also securing a spot in the upcoming six-player Six Kings Slam event.
