Washington, DC – Nearly two decades after the fierce battles waged by tennis legends Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt at Flushing Meadows, the two stars are back in the spotlight.
This time, however, the spotlight is on the next generation; their teenage sons have captured
attention in a very friendly atmosphere during the first week of the 2026 US Open.
Friendly meetings in the stands of Arthur Ashe
The stands of New York’s iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium witnessed a striking
appearance by 17-year-old Myla Federer (daughter of Roger Federer)
and Cruz Hewitt (son of Lleyton Hewitt), who were seen sitting side-by-side in a lighthearted and friendly atmosphere.
This occurred while they watched the match in which American tennis star Ben Chilton defeated his Dutch opponent, Tallon Griekspoor.
Cameras captured the pair laughing and showing each other the contents of their mobile phones.
These scenes prompted some American media outlets, such as the New York Post,
to highlight the close relationship between the teenagers and to circulate rumors
about the nature of this friendship, which seems to transcend the traditional bonds between the families of tennis legends.
A strong friendship, free from the pressures of competition
These friendly moments are a continuation of the close bonds forged
between the children of the two stars at this year’s Grand Slam tournaments.
Cruz, who is following in his father’s footsteps in the tennis world and reached the junior final at Wimbledon this year,
enjoys a close friendship with Mila and her twin sister Charlene.
The trio were seen together at the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July.
This friendly atmosphere contrasts sharply with the fierce competition that characterized the fathers’ historic encounters.
Federer and Hewitt faced each other in 27 official matches, with the Swiss winning 18 of them.
Notable matches included the 2004 US Open final and the thrilling 2005 semi-final.
Federer holds the record for most Wimbledon titles with eight,
while Hewitt made history as the first Australian to win the tournament in the Open Era in 2002.
Emotional traditions passed down in the world of tennis
The relationship between tennis stars and their children is not uncommon in the sport.
It has a long history of such relationships and romantic connections within the sport.
These stories began with the famous rumors linking Serena Williams and Grigor Dimitrov in 2012.
There’s also the successful marriage of British star Katie Boulter and Australian player Alex de Minaur.
More recently, the famous pair of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina
formed a remarkable mixed doubles duo at Flushing Meadows.
This raises questions among fans about whether the next generation of
children will be in for a new chapter of love stories on the tennis courts.
