Wimbledon Boys Champion Jordan Lee Is Inspired By A Footballer. It's Not Lionel Messi Or Cristiano Ronaldo

Jordan Lee revealed his Wimbledon boys final victory over Cruz Hewitt on Sunday was inspired by Spain World Cup star Lamine Yamal. American teenager Lee bears a striking resemblance to Yamal and he said the Barcelona forward's meteoric rise was motivation for his triumph at the All England Club. Yamal, 18, has helped Spain reach the World Cup semi-final against France on Tuesday after playing a key role in Barcelona's La Liga title win last season.

After beating Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 on Court One, the 16-year-old Lee said: "He's to be honest, an inspiration to me. The guy's incredible at what he does.

"He's young, as well, so I kind of look up to him in a way."

Lee was the youngest player in the boys tournament, but he recovered from a nervous start in the final to show why many have tipped him for future stardom.

"I had a very serious wrist injury that kept me out for like seven months. Yeah, it was a really tough time because I was seeing everyone play," he said.

"I knew once I started playing and got healthy, my level was there to win a slam and I did."

Hewitt, 17, was supported by his father Lleyton -- who won Wimbledon in 2002 -- and he hopes to one day emulate his father by getting his has on a Wimbledon trophy.

"That's definitely one of my big goals, long term, after my ranking has got up a little bit, but I think with a lot of hard work, it's possible," he said.

"I look forward to definitely and hopefully coming back in the future for the men's draw," he added.

smg/iwd

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day