12 out of 12! What a blistering start to the new season for 18-year-old Swiss Henry Bernet, who recently clinched the boys’ singles title at the Australian Open. But that’s not all! The Basel native also secured the glory at the ‘AGL Loy Yang Traralgon Junior International’ held in Australia right before the AO, defeating Russia’s Egor Pleshivtsev in two straight sets. Impressive, right? Certainly, it is! And, his meteoric rise on the ATP Tour, with back-to-back singles titles, has earned him a much-anticipated breakthrough. However, Bernet has his perspective on that. He knows the dangers of falling into the ‘trap of early hype’, and he’s determined to stay focused on his path to ensure his path to success remains smooth!

Born in 2007, Bernet’s love for tennis started at 4 as he grew up watching his brother Louis play. He started his Junior career with a win at the J5 event in Jönköping as he beat Saba George Nanobashvili in May 2022. In January 2023, the Basel native won the Junior 100 Salk Open in Bromma after defeating top-seeded Albert Saar in the final clash. Following that win, in 2024, Henry managed to reach the final in the Junior 200 event in Slovak Junior Indoors but lost to another top seed, Denis Petak. However, he made a name for himself in January 2025, when he won the ‘Junior’s AO championship’ while convincingly beating American Willwerth Benjamin in the final. Right after his win though, Bernet has distanced himself from any comparison with another Basel great.

Bernet recently sat down in a chat with Blick, a Swiss native news platform where he was asked his opinion on his comparison with Roger Federer. And he replied, stating, “People want the next Federer or the next Wawrinka, but there won’t be one. I am aware of the parallels I have with Roger, but it can really be a problem. At the moment I try not to think about it too much, to hide it somehow, right now what I want is to follow my own path.” Why is the 18-year-old teenager compared with the great Roger in the first place, though?

Like Henry, Roger Federer also fell in love with tennis at the age of 4, inspired by his childhood hero, Boris Becker, who won his first Wimbledon title in 1985. Despite his childhood passion for soccer, Federer, eventually chose to focus on tennis, feeling that in an individual sport, he had greater control over his victories and losses rather than relying on his teammates in soccer. And, his talent quickly became evident as he clinched his first ‘Swiss National Junior Championship title in the Under-12 category in 1993, followed by another triumph in the Under-14 in 1995.

However, Roger’s breakthrough moment came at Wimbledon, where, at just 17 years old, he claimed the boys’ singles title, defeating Georgian Irakli Labadze in straight sets. And, by the end of 1998, Federer had already reached a major milestone, securing the world junior No. 1 ranking. Interestingly, this is the very feat Henry Bernet has achieved.

As Bernet turns 18, he fully understands the weight of being compared to the Swiss maestro, after all, matching Roger’s legacy would mean winning at least 20 Grand Slam titles. However, despite his determination to walk his own path to stardom, the Swiss couldn’t help but share a glimpse of appreciation he got from the Federer family after his AO glory. 

‘I was very happy when I saw it’, Henry shares his road to stardom path while receiving a Federer e-mail

A GS debut to remember! Henry Bernet kicked off his Junior GS journey in style, securing victory in the AO final against the American opponent, Willwerth Benjamin. With this triumph, he etched his name in history as the first Swiss player to win a Junior GS in Melbourne. Adding to the similarities with the Swiss maestro, Henry represents the same childhood club as Roger and steers a graceful one-handed backhand, evocative of the tennis legend.

After claiming the boys’ title in Melbourne, Henry shared a heartwarming moment of appreciation, an email he received just after his AO triumph. And who sent it? None other than Roger’s family

During his conversation with Blick, the recently crowned junior AO champion added, “I have received many congratulations, including a very friendly email from the Federer family, namely from Roger and his parents, Lynette and Robert. I was very happy when I saw it. The email congratulated me and wished me every success in my journey.”

Henry, who gifted himself a GS trophy on his 18th birthday, has also started to work with Roger’s former coach, Severin Luthi. Do you think he will achieve glory just like Roger did? Share your thoughts below!