MUBADALA DC OPEN

July 28, 2026

Cruz Hewitt

Press Conference

C. HEWITT/M. Giron

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Cruz, congrats on your first ATP Tour victory. What are the emotions after match point today?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, it's pretty surreal to win here. Obviously I saw my dad played here. I came to his last tournament I remember. There are so many memories of that.

To get it around the line and make it to round 2, it's very special.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you through your journey with the tournament getting the wild card, playing quallies, getting two retirements in quallies, which is pretty rare, and stepping up in main draw and getting this win in pretty clean straight sets today?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, obviously it's not how you wanted to get through quallies, but I was grateful to be in this position to have a chance in the main draw to get my first win. I think I handled the way I played well, the conditions well, and then I brought my best tennis, I felt.

Q. How do you have the sort of self-belief to think that you can go out there and beat a top-100 guy? You hadn't done really anything close to that yet, but this was, again, a pretty decisive win for you today.

CRUZ HEWITT: I always believe in myself. I back myself, at the end of the day, so I think that's just the main thing that I have to go out there with.

Q. Cruz, I did a feature on your dad when he was here in 2015, and you were here. You were 6 years old. He said you were playing with James Duckworth at the time. Did you remember being here as a little guy, and what are some of your memories from the experience?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, no, I remember a few things. I remember being in the locker room, and my dad I remember making his protein shake, all that, in the locker room, and just being around him on the practice court. I remember I did an interview with him, as well, and now sitting here doing my own interview, it's surreal.

Q. Did you do a lot of traveling with him at the end of his career, or was that a rare trip for you?

CRUZ HEWITT: I think I did quite a bit. Yeah, quite a bit.

Q. I'm wondering, as well, we spoke to another player on tour who actually knows you fairly well. He suggested you have a fearlessness, and you're not necessarily afraid of the moment. I'm wondering if you agree with that assessment and maybe where that fearlessness comes from?

CRUZ HEWITT: No, I definitely agree with that. I think, I don't know, it just comes with my personality, who I am. I back myself when I step on the court, and I think it comes a bit in practice. I think I do that in practice as well, and it transitions into the matches, as well.

Q. Can you talk about your journey to getting to this point even before D.C.? I know you're still young, but you've been at it for, I guess, a little bit of time. Then also, what do you feel like has been the difference-maker in you getting these big results, especially today?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, I feel like the experience I've had recently playing at Wimbledon, as well. Playing the final on Court 1 in that crowd, I feel like that helped me to play in these tournaments in these conditions with the crowd and the tour level, as well.

Then obviously getting the chances in Australia to play qualifying at in men's, I feel that's helped me prepare, also. Then obviously playing a few challengers against the pro players, as well. I think that all comes with experience.

Q. You mentioned how you were here as a young kid, and you were hanging around your dad and the other players. I'm curious, did your dad give you any advice? What did he tell you about the experience of playing here in Washington ahead of the tournament this year?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, he always liked playing here. He has good memories here, as well. But no, before I went out today, his main advice was just to enjoy it, enjoy the opportunity I had. Then obviously when I enjoy it, I think I bring my best game when I'm having fun, as well.

Q. I wanted to ask you, going into your next match, is there anything in particular you're focusing on in your game that you maybe worked today and you want to bring?

CRUZ HEWITT: I think just the same things. Just prepare well and bring the confidence and the belief into each match. I think obviously I'll have to keep serving well no matter who I play. I think if I could do that, I just want to compete, at the end of the day, and enjoy it as well.

Q. Can you explain, what was your process of bouncing back from the loss in the Wimbledon Junior Final? I know that probably hit you pretty hard, as it would anybody. What did you learn from that? How did you move on from it?

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, no, it was obviously a disappointing loss being so close to the Wimbledon title, but I think just getting back to the practice court and focusing on what was next, and then I got the opportunity to come here, so my mind really switched to the next thing.

I didn't want to think too bad of the negatives. Think about the positive from the week at Wimbledon, which I think helped me to play well here.

Q. Is there anything you sort of do when you get your heartbroken like to sort of -- other than getting out back on the practice court, to sort of get you over the hump? Did you get annoyed? Did you allow yourself to be pissed off for an hour or something like that?

CRUZ HEWITT: Maybe a little bit after the match, but I think I move on pretty quickly, because I knew that it wouldn't help me. It would probably only hurt me if I kept thinking about it, to be honest.

Q. We don't know who you play in the next round, but it's a possibility you could play Alex de Minaur, who you have known for most of your life probably. I'm just curious, what would that be like if it is him you get to face? If you could talk about your personal history with him.

CRUZ HEWITT: Yeah, well, obviously if I play Alex, that would be a dream to share the court with him. I've known him. He's like my older brother. I've known him basically nearly my whole life. He's stayed with us. We have Christmas together, also.

To play him, share the court with him, he's taught me so much, I think that would be a pretty cool memory for us.

Q. How much have you hit with him recently?

CRUZ HEWITT: I hit with him before this tournament for two days and then a few times at Wimbledon, as well. Obviously I learn a lot hitting with him, yeah.