Yes, many of his female fans are comfortably old enough to be Jude Bellingham's mother - but here's the psychotherapist-approved reason your much younger crush IS acceptable: ROSIE GREEN

'If there was a god, then Nadal would play naked.’ So announced my friend Polly’s 81-year-old mother while watching the 20-something win Wimbledon back in 2008. Nadal, who I have just googled for journalistic purposes, did indeed fill out his T-shirt very nicely.Now, I can appreciate Nadal’s appeal, but he isn’t my cup of matcha. However, this year’s SW19 heartthrob Matteo Berrettini – who is due to wield his racquet again at next week’s US Open – very much is. Think golden skin, molasses eyes, curly black hair just begging to be ruffled and powerful thighs barely contained by his tight white shorts. The 30-year-old is 6ft 5in and 209lb of pure muscle.When watching this year’s tournament with my boyfriend I surprised myself, and him, with an audible outburst of frustration when the camera panned away for his mid-match shirt change. Simultaneously my WhatsApp pinged with Polly – clearly her mother’s daughter – saying, ‘I’d be his ball girl.’ My phone, which obviously has access to the inner workings of my mind, now shows me daily montages of his washboard stomach and disarming smile.And I’m far from alone in the ‘loins stirred’ department. It seems every woman I know is nursing some kind of crush on a young sportsman. Just yesterday I met with a work friend and she showed me her WhatsApp group entitled ‘Jude’s Wives Club’. Reams and reams of images and discussion dedicated to Mr Bellingham’s finer attributes. Jude Bellingham who, at 23, has melted the hearts of women the globe over for loving his mother, having a ripped torso, impressive biceps and the face of an angel We’ve always fancied young men, so why has it reached fever pitch in 2026? I’d say this summer’s sporting events have been populated by hotter than average guys, who women feel freer than ever to comment on. And, most importantly, our phones have enabled us to share images and discussion around them. Combine this with this year’s exceptionally steamy temperatures leading to more shirtless shots and you’ve got a Hot Boy Summer.The Six Nations rugby tournament led us in (shout out to Maro Itoje and George Ford), then Wimbledon delighted us with Berrettini, plus Lorenzo Musetti and Flavio Cobolli. The World Cup provided Argentina’s Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul (sorry, but we all love a bad boy); while the Baltic teams also offered a smorgasbord of male beauty.They, however, were mere side players to the aforementioned Jude Bellingham who, at 23, has melted the hearts of women the globe over for loving his mother, being kind to children and, er, having a ripped torso, impressive biceps and the face of an angel. (His visible thigh veins have also been garnering much attention.) Here I feel it would be remiss not to mention the hotness of a more age-appropriate besuited David Beckham in the stands.But is fancying men more than half our age morally dubious? After all, we consider middle-aged men lusting after women barely out of their teens unacceptably pervy.I defend it by saying my desire for Berrettini is more about appreciation than carnal lust. It feels more like admiring a painting or sculpture (I recently saw Michelangelo’s David for the first time and my honest thoughts are… buttocks).Were I to meet Berrettini in a bar (unlikely) and he tried to get me in the sack (more chance of a Burnham/Farage alliance, I’d say) then I would not do it.* Reader, my crush is almost pre-teen in its innocence. Similar in feel to kissing J-17 posters of Johnny Depp on my bedroom wall. I’m happy with it remaining in the land of fantasy. And a pretty PG-rated one at that. It’s the ultimate in safe sex. It’s no threat to my relationship. In fact, it buoys it as it reminds me that I am a sexual being not just a harassed single mother who perpetually forgets bin day. This year’s SW19 heartthrob Matteo Berrettini – who is due to wield his racquet again at next week’s US Open During my (enjoyable) musing on why my friends and I are embracing these crushes, I reflect it might be a way of again experiencing those exciting feelings that surrounded our youthful sexual awakening. These hot sports guys remind me of my arrival at university aged 18. Before that, my preference had been for skinny indie rockers who smoked Marlboro Lights, never saw daylight and would consider a visit to the gym heresy. Then I saw these Adonises with bulging biceps and enough strength to give me a fireman’s lift around campus and swiftly swapped allegiance to the jocks.I ask psychotherapist Juliet Rosenfeld, author of Affairs: True Stories Of Love, Lies, Hope And Desire, for her thoughts. She reminds me of the term ‘objectifying’. I’ve heard the word bandied around, of course, but she explains that it comes from seeing your fantasy as an object, a vehicle for your own wants and needs ‘rather than a whole person with their more and less appealing aspects’.She asks if the ‘younger man’ in question ‘is appreciated for himself and all that he is?’ Erm, very much not. I’ll admit I’m appreciating Berrettini on a superficial level. His girlfriend (rumoured to be DJ Peggy Gou) will know if he leaves the loo seat up or looks at his phone when she’s trying to explain the finer points of recycling, but I’m just getting the Centre Court version and that’s fine by me. How does he feel about being objectified? I’ve just written about being upset by trolling so I feel I do need to take his opinions into account. Luckily I can’t find any public comment by him on his heartthrob status, so I park that concern.Rosenfeld also points out that older women’s interest in beautiful young men might be down to ‘something that eludes us – youth’. She asks, ‘Does wanting someone younger make older women less aware of age and… mortality?’ England rugby player Maro Itoje is another shining light of this year's 'Hot Boy Summer'Quite possibly.I recall the ‘Ooh, Young Man!’ sketch with Harry Enfield and Kathy Burke which was on TV back in the 90s. They played two old ladies whose bosoms plummeted as low as their decorum. They harangued the visiting young gas man with some guffaw-inducing innuendos (‘You can stick your poker between my muffins any day’ and talk of ‘back passages’) and eventually pin him down and start stripping him (not so funny).In comparison, I think my feelings for Berrettini sit on the right side of socially acceptable. As long as I’m not trying to grab his (pert) bottom or sending him suggestive messages, I can enjoy my harmless crush guilt free. Because a crush, like a perfectly ripe peach or a cold rosé, is a small thing that makes life joyful.Oh, one last thing – the World Rowing Championships start next week and Rory Gibbs is my hot ticket. You. Are. Welcome.*PS The colleague said she would show no such restraint with Jude.