Simona Halep and Cruz Hewitt: Wild Card Wonders at Australian Open Qualifying

Simona Halep and Cruz Hewitt receive wild-card entries for Australian Open qualifying. Halep, a former top-ranked player and Grand Slam champion, makes her return after a doping suspension. Cruz, son of tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, is following in his father's footsteps, along with other notable entries.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, aiming for a comeback following a drug suspension, has been awarded a wild-card entry for the Australian Open qualifying event set for next month. Alongside her, Cruz Hewitt, son of Hall of Famer Lleyton Hewitt, also secured a wild card position, casting a spotlight on this new tennis generation.

Halep, 33, hails from Romania and boasts an impressive career, having been the runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2018 and claiming major titles at the French Open and Wimbledon. Once ranked No. 1, she's now positioned at 877th due to a protracted 18-month absence from Grand Slam competition.

Cruz Hewitt, whose ranking currently sits beyond the top 1,000, is making his own path in tennis, much like his legendary father, who debuted in the Australian Open at the age of 15 through a qualifying wild card. Lleyton Hewitt, post-retirement, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021 and now leads Australia as its Davis Cup captain.

(With inputs from agencies.)