Lleyton Hewitt and Son Cruz Win NSW Open Doubles Debut

Lleyton Hewitt, the former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, made a successful return to the ATP Tour on Wednesday, partnering with his 16-year-old son Cruz to win their opening doubles match at the New South Wales Open in Sydney. The father-son duo defeated fellow Australians Pavle Marinkov and Hayden Jones 6-1, 6-0 in just 46 minutes at Ken Rosewall Arena, showcasing seamless coordination despite Hewitt's five-year absence from competitive play.

The 44-year-old Hewitt, who last competed in an ATP doubles event at the 2020 Australian Open alongside Jordan Thompson, showed no signs of rust in the Challenger-level tournament. Cruz, ranked No. 759 in singles, held serve to love in the final game, sealing the victory. The pair advanced to face another all-Australian team, Dane Sweeny and Calum Puttergill, later in the week.

Hewitt, who retired from singles in 2016 after a career that included 30 ATP titles and 80 weeks at No. 1, described the match as a rare opportunity. "It's obviously something pretty unique and special," he said before the encounter. "It's not too often that the opportunity arises and there probably will be a time where I won't be good enough or...