Think the DC Open first round would be a gentle hit-and-giggle between mates? Not if Alex de Minaur had any say. The Australian No.1 landed the dream - or nightmare - draw: 18-year-old Cruz Hewitt, the son of his Davis Cup captain and a player he’s mentored like a little brother. Once the balls started flying on Stadium Court, de Minaur made one thing unmistakably clear: brotherhood ends at the baseline.
“It’s a weird situation, honestly,” de Minaur admitted after his 6-2, 6-3 victory. “I’ve trained with Cruz, I’ve given him advice, I’ve watched him grow. But I’m not doing him any favours out there. He deserves my best, and he got it.”
The Unlikely Showdown: Mentorship Meets Mayhem in Washington
From Practice Courts to Centre Stage
What started as a casual training partnership on the grass of the Lexus of Perryville courts last summer has exploded into the main-draw first-round matchup nobody expected - but everyone wanted. Cruz Hewitt, son of Australian tennis royalty Lleyton Hewitt, earned a wild card into the DC Open after a blistering run of Challenger-level results. De Minaur, the No.2 seed and world No.6, was supposed to open against a qualifier. Instead, the tennis gods served up a narrative so rich it could win a screenplay award.
“I was in the locker room, saw the draw, and thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” de Minaur said with a laugh. “Texted Cruz straight away: ‘Sorry, mate.’ He replied, ‘Don’t be sorry. Let’s go.’”
‘He’s Like a Little Brother’ - The Bond Behind the Baseline
The bond runs deep. Lleyton Hewitt has captained de Minaur in Davis Cup for years, and the two families have become tight-knit. De Minaur has taken Cruz under his wing, drilling movement patterns, return-of-serve strategies, and the mental toughness that defines his own game. Cruz has called Alex his “unofficial big brother” in interviews.
Inside Tennis Australia, whispers suggest Cruz’s rapid rise - five Challenger semifinals in 2026, a junior Wimbledon quarterfinal - has been accelerated by de Minaur’s mentorship. The pre-match banter was lighthearted: Cruz joked he’d aim for his mentor’s backhand; de Minaur promised “no charity.”
‘But I’m Not Doing Him Any Favours’
When reporters pressed de Minaur on whether he considered easing up in a lopsided match, his answer was immediate and fierce.
“Absolutely not. That’s not how you respect someone. If I go easy, I’m telling him he’s not good enough to face the real me. He is. He will be. But today, I had to show him what it takes to beat a top-10 player. No shortcuts.”
📊 De Minaur’s first-serve win percentage: 84% - The highest in any first-round match at DC Open so far this year. Cruz managed just 52%.
That philosophy translated into a clinical performance that left the younger Hewitt with nowhere to hide.
The Match That Forged a Future Rivalry
Deconstructing the Demolition
Cruz started bold - no fear, no deference. He broke de Minaur in the opening game with a blistering backhand down the line, pumping his fist. The crowd roared. For five minutes, the kid was king. Then de Minaur went to work.
| Statistic | de Minaur | Hewitt |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 9 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 68% | 57% |
| Break Points Saved | 4/5 (80%) | 2/8 (25%) |
| Winners | 28 | 14 |
| Unforced Errors | 12 | 21 |
The turning point came at 2-2 in the first set. De Minaur, defending from behind the baseline, read Cruz’s drop shot perfectly, sprinted forward, and flicked a passing winner cross-court that left the teenager shaking his head. From there, the Aussie No.1 won five of the next six games.
The ‘Weird’ Admission - When Winning Hurts
Post-match, de Minaur revealed an emotional split that surprised even himself.
