Wimbledon 2023: Henry Searle wins boys' title to end 61-year wait

A teenage tennis star has ended Britain's 61-year wait for a boys' singles champion at Wimbledon

Henry Searle, who is 17, took the title after beating Yaroslav Demin, 6-4 6-4.

The last British boys' champion, in 1962, was Stanley Matthews - named after his dad, Sir Stanley Matthews, a legendary Blackpool and England footballer.

The teenager didn't lose a single set during the tournament.

He said: "I am going to try to enjoy it. It was amazing in front of this crowd today."

Wolverhampton-born Henry, a big fan of Wolverhampton Wanderers football team, also received a message from the football club's manager Julen Lopetegui in the build-up to his final and the youngster said it was "pretty cool" to have his successes recognised in that way.

Lots of Henry's family and friends were wearing T-shirts printed with 'Henry's Barmy Army' sat in the stands, chanting and jumping to their feet with every point he won.

Henry is only the 12th British boy EVER to win one of the biggest boys' Grand Slam titles and the first since 2011.

He is the first Briton to win a junior Wimbledon title since Laura Robson in 2008 and, most impressively, the first boy to lift the trophy in more than half a century.

Searle's family and friends from his tennis club supported him at the tournament

Searle took time to sign tennis balls and autographs and took pictures with young fans before he left the court, saying he would "do his best" to keep working hard and perhaps one day win the main competition too.

Only four players who won the boys' singles title have gone on to win the men's - Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Pat Cash and Stefan Edberg.

Hollie Smart and Mark Ceban both got to the Under-14s finals

In the boys' under-14 singles there was also victory for the UK's Mark Ceban but Hollie Smart missed out on the girls' under-14 title after defeat by Serb Luna Vujovic.