Henry Bernet is not your typical junior tennis player. Already signed to a high-end management agency, and kitted out in On tennis gear, the brand already boasting Iga Świątek, Ben Shelton and João Fonseca on its roster whilst listing Roger Federer as a "co-entrepreneur", this young Swiss player has been earmarked by many as a star of the future.
Bernet took the first steps towards fulfilling that promise, lifting the boys' singles trophy at the Australian Open on his 18th birthday, becoming the first Swiss player to win a junior singles title at the Australian Open and joining an illustrious list of former Swiss stars in Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic to have tasted Grand Slam success at junior level.
A key part of Bernet’s marketability has been his single-handed backhand, a defining characteristic for the recent generation of Swiss male players, yet very much a dying breed on the junior circuit. In the final against American Benjamin Willwerth, his already signature shot was in full flow, perhaps not possessing the fluidity of his Swiss forefathers, but certainly maintaining the ability to generate power and redirect pace effectively.
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But for all the talk about his backhand, his forehand stands out as the key weapon that could propel him to the top of the sport. Despite some small quirks in his preparation, his swing and form feel very natural, reminiscent of early-career Stefanos Tsitsipas. He used this shot to dictate rallies against Willwerth and recover from defensive positions against the power-hitting baseliner Jan Kumstát, who was the top-seeded junior at the event whom Bernet beat in the quarter-finals.
Bernet only developed a one-handed backhand when he was around 10 or 11 after his coach made a joke when he was struggling with his two-handed backhand.
"It just looked natural, felt natural, and then I switched to the one-hander," he said.
Bernet has practiced with Wawrinka and met him several times, and while he has only met Federer once at the US Open last year, he was immediately struck by the level of detail that the Swiss maestro knew about his career.
"I spoke to him for around 20 to 30 minutes and it was very nice," he said. "He was asking me about where I practice, who I practice with and I was very happy and surprised that he knew some of my results already.
"They are both champions and what they both achieved for a country like Switzerland, this is not normal, and it's just inspiration for us."
Whilst flattered by the comparisons to Federer and Wawrinka, Bernet is determined to forge his own path in the tennis world as his game matures.
"I'm just trying to develop myself, make my own journey. But obviously there's always going to be some comparisons. That's not a problem for me. It's a motivation, too."
For such a young age, Bernet already has an incredible grasp of himself, demonstrating poise in the main press conference room and confidence when delivering answers to questions from a relatively large press pack.
"Representing your country in the Davis Cup is probably everyone's dream. We in Switzerland have many other good players. I think someday maybe I'm going to be part of the team. I'm also patient waiting for an opportunity."
Bernet will now look to mix professional tournaments with some of the bigger junior tournaments as he looks to make it on the senior tour.
The odds are in his favour, with Fonseca and Learner Tien translating their recent junior success into professional tour success at this year's Australian Open. But for now, Bernet is solely focused on toasting his 18th birthday and returning home to Switzerland for what will likely be an even bigger celebration.
"We're going to have a nice dinner. Not too much sleep because I return home tomorrow morning, which I'm also looking forward to returning back home. Maybe I'm going to celebrate a bit today, but also then when I'm back home."
Play USA Tennis Pathways supports athletes who want to go down the college pathway, assisting players to get recruited to a college that meets their academic and athletic goals. If you are a player, parent, or coach and are interested in the college pathway in the United States, contact Lachlan Puyol at playusatennispathways@gmail.com
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