LONDON (AP) — Sixteen-year-old American Jordan Lee became only the second qualifier in history to win the Wimbledon boys' singles title, rallying from a set down to defeat Australia's Cruz Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday at No. 1 Court.
Lee, who entered the tournament ranked outside the junior top 100, compiled a remarkable seven-match winning streak as a qualifier to claim the championship. He is the first qualifier to win any Grand Slam boys' tournament since Noah Rubin accomplished the feat at the same venue in 2014.
"Standing here with the trophy means a lot because very few people know what I've been through this past year and a half, dealing with a lot of injuries," Lee said in an emotional on-court interview after the victory. "A year ago at this time I was sitting at home on the couch, didn't know if I was going to play tennis again."
The American teenager showed nerves of steel in the decisive set. Hewitt, the 17-year-old son of 2002 Wimbledon men's champion Lleyton Hewitt — who watched from the stands at No. 1 Court — seized an early break in the third set and appeared in control. But Lee refused to yield, breaking back immediately to level at 4-4 before striking again in the critical 10th game to earn the chance to serve for the title.
Lee converted his first match point with a clinical backhand winner down the line, collapsing onto the grass as the crowd rose to its feet. He becomes the first American to win the boys' singles title at Wimbledon since Samir Banerjee in 2021, joining a storied list of past champions that includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, all of whom won the Wimbledon boys' event early in their professional journeys.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-juniors-boys-title-jordan-lee-hewitt-665d4fa8b4828d68da162ecae9859d20
