Next 'Roger Federer' wins Australian Open boys title on 18th birthday

Switzerland’s Henry Bernet gets a big prize on his 18th birthday as he lifts the Australian Open boys title. The 18-year-old, who has been regarded as the next ‘Roger Federer’, defeated Benjamin Willwerth in the final of the competition in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.

Even before the competition started, Bernet has been often linked with Federer. That is largely down to the fact that both players come from Switzerland, both are from Basel and practiced at the Old Boys tennis club. Therefore, winning the Australian Open boy's title will only increase the comparison between the two players.

Talking after the match, Bernet admitted that he was aware of the comparison made between him and Switzerland’s legendary tennis star but insisted that his focus is on his ‘own journey’. “As I said, I'm just trying to develop myself, yeah, kind of make my own journey,” he said. “But obviously there's always going to be some comparisons. That's not a problem for me. It's a motivation, too. Yeah, maybe I just try to focus on my own journey.”

Bernet, who met Federer at the US Open in 2024, stated that he is not sure whether he will get a call from one of the greatest players in the history of sport but admitted that he would ‘love’ to speak to him sometime in the near future. “I really don't know [if Federer will call],” he said. “I mean, I would love to talk to him again. I mean, he's anyway busy. I mean, I would love to have a chat with him. I'm not expecting one now.”

Federer remains one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 20 Grand Slam titles. He was the first player in men’s tennis in the Open era to win more than 15 major titles. He was also the first to win 20 major titles.