Bennani becomes first Moroccan boy for 20 years to win at Wimbledon
As he was whisked away for this second post-match interview, it was clear that being quizzed in the Wimbledon press area was new territory for Morocco’s Reda Bennani.
But, then again, why would it not be alien? The 17-year-old has only competed at two Junior Grand Slams before and on both occasions it was the Roland Garros Junior Championships.
New experiences are all part of a junior player’s development but if Bennani's showing at the Junior Championships is anything to go by, requests for his time will be more commonplace going forward.
For now, Bennani can bask in the glory of a maiden Wimbledon match-win and an impressive first-round victory – the 17-year-old prevailed 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(6) – against home favourite Oliver Bonding.
His victory was the first by a Moroccan boy at Wimbledon for 20 years – since Mehdi Ziadi in 2004 – while he is only the fifth Moroccan junior player in history to claim victory at SW19.
That is made all the more impressive by Bennani's showdown with Bonding being his first ever match on grass, which is a notoriously difficult surface for those unacquainted with it. Naturally, the teenager was stoked.
“It is unbelievable – the best feeling ever,” Bennai told itftennis.com. “I only came here three or four days ago, mainly for the experience. We don’t have grass courts in Morocco and I am straight from the clay.
“This is my first time here and my first time on grass. I didn’t expect anything. I just wanted to go to the court and take pleasure from the crowd. It was fun and I could not be happier.
“I did not know that I was the first Moroccan boy to win here in 20 years. That makes me happy and proud. We had three amazing tennis players who came from Morocco – Younes El Aynaoui, Karim Alami and Hicham Arazi.
“We are a country of tennis, but we don’t have tennis players as it is hard. But why should I not be first since them?”.
Bennani is progressing nicely and is currently ranked No. 17 in the ITF World Tennis Tour boys’ rankings, although his triumh here is the one that stands out the most from his career record.
He will now face Spain’s Rafael Jodar, who won J300 Roehampton – the traditional grass-court junior warm-up event for Wimbledon – last week, in round two. Bennani celebrated his first-round win by imitating a golf swing.
“I was having some fun with my friends before I came here,” added Bennani. “I heard Casper Ruud say that grass was for golf. I was making fun with my friends, and I said that if I manage to win here I would do a golf shot.”
Bennani had not had chance to check his phone between defeating Bonding and attending his first post-match interview but reckoned it would be “incredible” in Casablanca following his win.
It was a special moment for all those who travelled with him to Wimbledon, including Khalid Lhamidi – his coach since the age of six. This victory, however, feels like it belongs to the whole of Morocco.
Congratulations, Reda.
A full list of results from the 2024 Junior Championships, Wimbledon can be found here.