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UNC-Asheville alum wins Wimbledon tennis championship

Harri Heliovaara, left, of Finland and Henry Patten of Britain celebrate after defeating Australia's Max Purcell and compatriot Jordan Thompson in the men's doubles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2024.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
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AP
Harri Heliovaara, left, of Finland and Henry Patten of Britain celebrate after defeating Australia's Max Purcell and compatriot Jordan Thompson in the men's doubles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2024.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

On Saturday, UNC-Asheville alumni Henry Patten and his partner, Harri Heliovaara of Finland, won the men's doubles final at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London.

Patten and Heliovaara defeated an Australian pair, Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, to take home the £650,000 prize money.

Patten was stunned at his own accomplishment. Asked during the trophy ceremony if could put the experience into words, he replied, "No, uh, no."

"I can't really remember what happened to be honest," Patten said before thanking his friends and family who supported him.

During his time at UNC-Asheville, Patten was the top-ranked NCAA doubles player.

In 2018, he was the first student-athlete in UNC Asheville men's tennis history to be selected to the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championships, according to the UNCA Bulldogs website.

The British tennis star was also a three-time Big South Player of the Year.

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