This is Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, junior Wimbledon champion in 2024

Andrés Tomás Rico | 17 Jul 2024 | 16.00

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The name of Nicolai Budkov Kjaer may start to resonate in the near future. The 17-year-old Norwegian has claimed the Wimbledon junior title after losing only one set throughout the tournament, becoming the number 1 junior player and dreaming of achieving great things. A fan of all sports, he also plays hockey and soccer, in addition to golf where he hopes to play with his national idol, Casper Ruud.

“It's incredible to have achieved a childhood goal. I am very proud and happy with my performance. It's a relief. I am very happy with the week and many emotions are running through my mind. I am happy and enjoying the moment,” confessed the Norwegian before adding: “It's just juniors, so I'm aiming for bigger things.” Showing that his true intentions lie at higher levels. But for now, he will savor the accomplishment.

Nicolai Budkov is Norwegian with an Estonian mother, and his family has always been passionate about sports. However, tennis never caught their attention until he decided to pick up the racket. “My father became interested in tennis when he was around 30 years old. We don't come from a tennis background. He was into cycling, and my mother was a swimmer. We are a sporty family, and now my sister plays tennis. We have evolved to become a family of tennis players now,” stated the Norwegian.

- Under the Radar in Younger Categories

His triumph at Wimbledon was a great joy for the young tennis player, who, however, did not stand out at ages 12 or 15. “I arrived late. I suppose I wasn't playing on big stages when I was around 14. It's hard to say what helped me close the gap. I guess I grew, developed some muscles, like everyone does. Norwegians typically have a late blooming path to becoming good, so we are usually better as we get older. That's how we do it”.

His success at the London major was not by chance, as Nicolai's season has been outstanding. He reached the semifinals of the Australian Open junior and has only suffered 4 defeats this season. Additionally, he made a winning debut in February with the Norwegian Davis Cup team, where he crossed paths with Ruud. “The word that can describe my year is ‘great’. It's great. There is also a lot of hard work behind it. It's not easy. I am very happy with my year. I try to build my confidence and playing style now,” confirmed the Nordic player.

- Sports Enthusiast

As we have mentioned before, Nicolai is a sports enthusiast and besides tennis, he also played ice hockey, which greatly helped his backhand: “Hockey and tennis were the two main sports I played when I was younger. I believe that helped me, especially my backhand, which is quite solid. In hockey, you also use both hands on the stick, so I am sure that helped me a lot,” said the Wimbledon junior champion, who, in addition to these two sports, also plays some casual soccer and golf, where he hopes to have a game with Casper Ruud: “Hopefully, but he is a busy man. I have to see if he has time. If he gives me the opportunity to play golf or tennis or whatever, I will join in”.

The Norwegian had the honor of playing the final on Wimbledon’s Court 1, but even then, he stayed focused on his goal: “The stadium was huge, but I was just trying to play my game, play as I play. I was focused on that,” stated Nicolai, who now has his sights set on his next goal, the US Open junior: “I'm planning for it. I hope to secure another title there,” shared the Norwegian hopeful who, despite being far down the rankings at 745th place, has at 17 years old achieved a title he will always remember, but Nicolai Budkov aims for more and step by step, he aims to make a mark on the circuit.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así es Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, campeón junior de Wimbledon 2024

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