Local hero nabs title at Wimbledon

  • 2014-07-11
Novak Djokovic might have taken home the big trophy at Wimbledon, but it was a Long Island native named Noah Rubin, from Rockville Centre near Williston Park, who earned the boys’ singles’ title this year.

Rubin, 18, faced Stefan Kozlov, 16, from Florida in the final, making it the first all-American final in nearly 40 years. Rubin defeated Kozlov 6-4, 4-6, and 6-3. His hometown will no doubt be using banner printing to welcome him back and congratulate him on his victory.

Rubin expressed surprise at the number of people who came out to see the match. The response to his playing was such that the crowds had to be calmed down by a chair umpire.

The Long Island teenager's style caught the eye of some tennis greats. John McEnroe, the owner of the Randalls Island tennis academy at which Rubin trained, told the New York Daily News that the teen was “the complete package”.

Patrick McEnroe, the general manager for player development for the US Tennis Association, told Newsday that he and everyone else were “incredibly proud” of Rubin.

At the end of the finals, Rubin celebrated his win with his competitor, Kozlov. It turns out that the two are friends off the court, with Rubin tweeting that he “wouldn't want to share this moment with anyone else”. In an interview, the teen champion stated that he hoped he and Kozlov would be able to continue to rise up together, until they reach the top.