They call him “the million-dollar kid” and if his sporting pedigree is anything to go by, young Cruz Hewitt is well on his way to becoming the next big thing in world tennis.
It’s tough at the best of times being 13 years old, but when your dad happens to be tennis legend Lleyton and your mum is TV star Bec, there’s bound to be a bit of pressure!
“He’s got the genes that’s for sure – and plenty of determination like his dad!” a tennis insider shares with Woman’s Day.
“He’s the real deal, and has a confidence about him. He’s been around tennis since he was born, and both parents will make certain he remains grounded.”
Bec and Lleyton with their son when he became the National Claycourt Champ.
(Instagram)Perhaps that is the reason why the entire Hewitt family, including Cruz’s sisters, Mia, 16, and Ava, 11, abruptly sold up in Melbourne in search of a better life on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
“It’s all about Cruz. The coast offers a number of training venues, including a state-of-the-art centre where he’s already training,” claims the insider.
For Lleyton, a former Wimbledon and US Open champ, the KDV Academy, with its 20 courts and million-dollar facilities, is exactly what’s needed if his boy is to make it to world No. 1.
“Cruz only picked up a racquet a few years ago – he’s been kicking a soccer ball since he could walk.
“For Lleyton and Bec, they knew when he won the Australian under-12s clay court title earlier this year that he’s something special.
“It’s now or never they thought – so let’s give this kid the best chance possible,” the insider reveals.
And while there’s plenty of similarities between the pint-sized pocket rocket and his famous dad, if the tennis pundits have got this right, the hard-hitting right-hander could in fact be as good, if not better than the “old man”!
“He mimics his dad – both on and off the court. He even has his tongue out when he hits one of those unrelenting ground strokes! He’s yet to master the famous Hewitt ‘come on’ catchcry – but he is young!”
Lleyton, the current Australian Davis Cup captain, knows all too well the pressure of being the offspring of a famous sportsman – his dad was a champion Aussie Rules player in the 1970s.
“Glynn and mum Cherilyn gave their only son Lleyton every opportunity to be the best. Up until the age of 13, Lleyton played Aussie Rules, but gave it up to pursue tennis.
“Turns out, he made the right decision, which is exactly what everyone hopes now for the family’s latest protege.
“If Cruz was to win Wimbledon, considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of tennis, they could be the first father and son pair to achieve such a milestone.
“He stands to make a lot of money over the coming years if all goes to plan. He’s a great kid, and if anyone can be No. 1, it’s Cruz!”
