Coming into Wimbledon, Samir Banerjee had a solid strategy: set low expectations to avoid disappointment.

The 17-year-old American was contesting just his second junior Grand Slam and was coming off an opening-round exit at Roland-Garros last month, as well as an early defeat in Roehampton; simply chasing one victory at the All England Club was both understandable and wise.

A week later, the unseeded Banerjee pulled off the unthinkable. He defeated his compatriot Victor Lilov 7-5, 6-3 to win the Wimbledon boys’ singles title in front of a buoyant No.1 Court crowd.

“I really just wanted to win a round, I didn’t expect this. I had a tough French Open, lost to a good player, so here I just wanted to keep my expectations low so that if I passed them, then I’d be happy. But this was way beyond my wildest dreams,” the junior world No.19 said on court.

Later on No.1 Court, Ane Mintegi Del Olmo became the first Spanish player to win the girls' singles title at Wimbledon, overcoming Nastasja Mariana Schunk 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours and three minutes.

The 17-year-old Del Olmo is just the third Spaniard to claim a girls’ singles Grand Slam trophy – behind Lourdes Dominguez Lino (1999 Roland-Garros) and Paula Badosa (2015 Roland-Garros) – and the third Spaniard to clinch a Wimbledon junior singles crown after Manuel Orantes (1967) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (2017).

“I’m so happy to be the champion of Wimbledon 2021. Thank you to my team, and the team I have in Barcelona. It’s amazing. I enjoyed this week a lot and to have this trophy in my house is very special for me,” Mintegi del Olmo said on court.

Banerjee and Lilov were contesting just the third all-American boys’ singles final in Wimbledon history, and the first since 2014.

The duo had never faced off on the ITF junior tour, but Banerjee had the upper hand in all of their previous age-group meetings on the US national circuit.

Banerjee has committed to joining Columbia University in the autumn, where he’ll get to pursue an education while playing college tennis, but will have the Wimbledon trophy as a reminder of his potential on the professional circuit.

“It’s going to be amazing, this trophy is going to be my centrepiece, I’m going to look at this and be inspired to keep playing and hopefully come back here as a pro,” he said, adding that he will test himself out in a few men’s Futures events to finalise his decision about his next steps.

In an 82-minute final, Banerjee forged a 5-2 lead but could not close out the first set right away as a sloppy service game allowed Lilov to break back and draw level for 5-5. Still, Banerjee recovered a couple of games later, peppering Lilov with big returns to take a one-set lead.

A crucial break arrived in game six of the second set, allowing Banerjee to inch ahead 4-2. Lilov came up with big serves to save two championship points in the next game but that only briefly delayed Banerjee’s crowning moment as he clinched the title on his third opportunity.

Banerjee was unable to travel to south-west London with his coach Carlos Martinez– whose wife tested positive for COVID-19 before the trip – and instead arrived at Wimbledon with his uncle Kanad, who was happy to step in as a last-minute companion.

“My uncle is here, he’s not technically a tennis coach, but if these results keep happening then I should start travelling with him more,” joked Banerjee.

In doubles, Spain’s Alejandro Manzanera Pertusa and Lithuania’s Edas Butvilas won the boys’ title while Belarusian Kristina Dmitruk and Russian Diana Shnaider took top honours on the girls’ side.