Lamine Yamal lookalike Lee seals impressive Wimbledon boys' title
Football references have been front and centre of Jordan Lee’s press conferences throughout the Junior Championships, Wimbledon and it was no different in his final media exchange after being crowned boys’ champion.
Lee staged a stunning comeback in the boys’ final to dispatch Australia’s Cruz Hewitt 4-6 6-4 7-5 and become the first American to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title since 2021.
At 16 years and 69 days, Lee was the youngest player to begin the boys’ singles draw this year, while he is the youngest to lift Junior Grand Slam silverware here since Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki in 2019.
The teenager is also the first qualifier – and just the second player overall – to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title since fellow American Noah Rubin in 2014.
In short, Lee had reason to celebrate and, despite being a Chelsea supporter, he celebrated his victory by replicating the signature goal celebration – a surfer routine – of Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha.
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“I’ve been doing celebrations all week and one of my friends said I should do it,” said Lee, whose game-style has been likened by some to that of seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz.
“I said that I’d think about it. After I won, nothing came into my head because I obviously wasn’t planning a celebration before the match. It just came to me as soon as I won and that’s what I chose.”
The football connections do not stop there as Lee previously went viral after being likened to Barcelona football superstar Lamine Yamal, who is currently starring for Spain at the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Posts to that effect began to circulate in November 2025, shortly after Lee had become just the second player born in 2010 to earn an ATP point.
“Yamal is one of my favourite players,” added Lee. “In fairness, I think I got the cut before he got the cut. Maybe he saw a post of me and copied. But, in all honesty, he is an inspiration to me. The guy is incredible at what he does. He’s young and I look up to him.”
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Lee’s success is all the more remarkable given this was the first Junior Grand Slam he has contested in his fledgling career, and sometimes new surroundings take time to adjust to.
He was also facing a player in Hewitt who had not dropped a set all week and was bidding to follow in the footsteps of his father, Lleyton, and claim a Wimbledon title – albeit at junior level.
“I just tried to go into the match thinking that it's a court, I have a racket in my hand and I'm hitting a tennis ball across the net with someone else,” said Lee.
“I did a pretty good job of that. The stadium was pretty packed, so it was a very good experience for me, and I think I handled it well, although I was a bit nervous going in and he started very aggressively.
“I was down early but once I got my level back, and once the second set started, I felt, ‘okay, I’ve got him here’, and I was full of confidence from that moment.
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“Even when I was 4-2 down in the third set, at no point did I envisage losing the match. I never envisage losing a match, there’s always a chance to win no matter what the score is. I’ve seen it happen plenty of times, you have to find a way.”
This is undoubtedly a massive moment for Lee, who is building an impressive résumé having also been part of the victorious United States team crowned 2025 Davis Cup junior champions alongside Michael Antonius and Andrew Johnson.
However, he is not a player about to get carried away and lose focus. There is a strong acknowledgement that this is a significant accomplishment, but also that there are many more important steps still to take.
“For me, this doesn’t change anything,” he added. “I’m really happy that I won this title. It is a big title and I am really happy. The mentality going forward is I know I can do it and hopefully my career is only just getting started.
“I know it’s a long journey, so I don’t think winning this title means that I am destined for greatness. I know there is a long journey ahead of me.
“No matter what I’ve won, whether Wimbledon or a smaller tournament somewhere else, my mentality does not change at all.”
A full list of results from the 2026 Junior Championships, Wimbledon is available here