It has been just shy of a five years since Lleyton Hewitt last played a professional match, but the Australian star will return to the courts to compete again on Wednesday.
Hewitt, a former world No.1, will step out alongside his son, Cruz, in the doubles event at the NSW Open on Wednesday after receiving a wildcard to play in the tournament.
The Australian great has not played in a professional tournament since the 2020 Australian Open, where he featured in the doubles draw with Jordan Thompson.
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Hewitt has shown on several occasions that he has not lost his rhythm on the courts in his retirement, having played in legends matches at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
However, the last time he featured in an ATP Challenger match was 27 years ago.
Hewitt won that match in Perth against Mark Draper in straight sets.
Now, he will face local talents Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov in the opening round at the NSW Open.
Cruz, 16, has had an impressive run in the youth circuit over the past 12 months, regularly playing in ITF and ATP Challenger events across the country.
Such results have helped him break into the top-800 this week.
Aside from taking to the court with his father, Cruz will also play in the singles. In the first round, Cruz defeated Omar Jasika 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
He will face Japan's Matsuoka Hayato in the second round on Wednesday morning.
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