Boris Becker

Born: November 22, 1967 in Leimen (Baden-Württemberg)
Height: 1.90 m
Plays: Right-handed

As a young child, Becker played football and tennis with equal passion. He decided to devote himself to the racquet sport at the age of 12, training in his hometown near München. Between 1982 and 1984, he won West German titles in the junior category. When he claimed his first German junior championship, defeating boys three years older, he was only 15 but didn’t look it. He was often mistaken for an adult! Becker matured at a dizzying pace – both physically and mentally. By 1984, the 16-year-old was ready to compete with professionals. He quickly signed a lucrative contract with Adidas, guided by experts Günther Bosch and manager, former player from Romania – Ion Țiriac. It was almost Polish Wojtek Fibak who became Becker’s mentor, but fate had other plans.
The results came swiftly. On May 14, 1984, the 16-year-old Becker won his first Grand Prix tournament. Teaming up with the 15-years-older Fibak, he triumphed in the doubles event in München. A few months later, the teenager reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Becker trained intensively, dedicating four to five hours daily to squats, push-ups, running, and serving. He spent less time honing other shots, as they appeared to be a natural endowment.
In 1985, Becker claimed his first major singles victory at the Queens Club, a tournament that preceded Wimbledon. Few bet on the young German at Wimbledon, but the 17-year-old, playing athletic and uncompromising tennis, diving for “unwinnable” points, became the youngest champion in the tournament’s history. He showcased not only exceptional skills, but also remarkable mental resilience. In the third round against Joakim Nyström, he trailed 4:5* (30-all) in the fifth set, only to win it 9-7. The teenager impressed with his powerful serve, precise forehand, excellent net coverage, and ability to clinch crucial points. When he faced the big-serving Kevin Curren in the final, Becker was already the favourite to win. True to expectations, he triumphed in spectacular fashion, etching his name into history as the youngest Wimbledon champion at just 17 years, 7 months, and 15 days. While it’s true that he didn’t face a single Top 5 player en route to the title, Becker silenced any doubters the following year. He defended his crown with authority, dismantling the world’s best player, Ivan Lendl, in a commanding final performance.
Despite numerous injuries, Becker remained at the forefront of tennis for the next decade. He won the sport’s biggest events and was instrumental in West Germany’s Davis Cup successes (1988 and 1989). Reflecting on tennis, he once said in the second half of the 80s: “Five to ten years ago, it was played differently. Vilas, Wilander – it was a different game, from the baseline. I think a good tennis player proposing constant volleys will beat an opponent who plays from the back of the court.” This aggressive style defined Becker’s game, especially on fast surfaces like grass and carpet, where his powerful serve, net coverage, and flat strokes paid dividends. Becker demonstrated his mastery of indoor tennis while still a teenager. In the autumn of 1986, he achieved a remarkable feat under the roof, capturing three titles in three consecutive weeks across three continents – Sydney (hard), Tokyo (carpet), and Paris (carpet) not being close to lose any of 15 matches! The year 1989 marked the pinnacle of Becker’s career. After conquering Wimbledon for the third time, he triumphed at the US Open, and spearheaded Germany to its World Team Cup and Davis Cup victories. In the eyes of fans, he was undoubtedly the best player in the world that year. However, with no ranking points awarded for WTC and Davis Cup rubbers (11 wins in total), Becker ended the season ranked second; what had seemed inevitable since his stunning Wimbledon breakthrough as a teenager, finally came to fruition nearly six years later, when he claimed the Australian Open ’91.
However, clay courts proved to be Becker’s Achilles’ heel. Despite reaching three semi-finals at Roland Garros (1987, 1989, 1991) and six finals in smaller clay events (thrice in a big Monte Carlo event nonetheless), he never won a singles title on the red surface. His weight and natural playing style made movement on clay challenging, moreover his serve lost some of its effectiveness. Even in matches where he seemed poised for victory – like the 1995 Monte Carlo final against Thomas Muster, which he lost 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6, 6-0 – clay remained his curse.
Becker’s legacy, however, is undeniable. He is remembered as one of the greatest tennis champions of the 20th Century – a spectacular player admired worldwide. For twelve years (1985-1996), he successfully competed at the highest level, co-creating countless thrilling matches at the sport’s grandest stages against legends such as Lendl (Masters ’88 it’s their most memorable battle), John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi (four major semifinals), and Pete Sampras (also the Masters clash, in 1996, it was something special). His “serve-and-volley” rivalry with Edberg, in particular, electrified audiences. They played 35 matches (Becker won it 25-10) with three Wimbledon finals included (the last one in 1990), battling for supremacy during 1989-1991, as Lendl, the most dominant force of the 1980s, began to fade.
Becker’s game had its quirks. He was a slow starter, often losing the opening set, but his will to win was tremendous, leading to many comeback victories in best-of-five matches (in February of 1992 he notched two astonishing comebacks in different conditions: Rio and Brussels). Surprisingly, he was also a slow-paced server, despite his preference for quick points. “Boris had no technique in his youth, but he had an amazing fighting spirit. He tried by all means to get the ball to the other side,” said Boris Breskvar, his first coach. Despite his ability to thrive under pressure and the absence of any glaring weaknesses in his game, Becker often struggled in decisive tie-breaks – a puzzling anomaly in his otherwise stellar career.
Throughout his career, the German worked with numerous coaches, including earlier mentioned Bosch, Bob Brett, Günter Bresnik, Nick Bollettieri, as well as former players Tomáš Šmíd, Eric Jelen and finally Mike DePalmer Jr., who guided him from August 1995 until his retirement. Almost two decades after retiring from professional tennis, Becker transitioned into coaching, taking on a pivotal role as Novak Đoković’s mentor. During their partnership in years 2014-16, Đoković improved his serve and backhand slice, capturing six Grand Slam titles and further solidifying Becker’s legacy as a key figure in the sport, both on and off the court.

Career record: 713–214 [ 264 events ]
Career titles: 49
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (champion 1991 & 96; quarterfinal 1984 & 90)
Roland Garros (semifinal 1987, 89 & 91; quarterfinal 1986)
Wimbledon (champion 1985-86 & 89; runner-up 1988, 90-91 & 95; semifinal 93-94; quarterfinal 92 & 97)
US Open (champion 1989; semifinal 1986, 90 & 95)
Davis Cup champion 1988-89
World Team Cup champion 1989
Hopman Cup champion 1995
Masters champion 1988, 92 & 95
Grand Slam Cup champion 1996

Year-end rankings 1983-99: 563 – 66 – 6 – 2 – 5 – 4 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 11 – 3 – 4 – 6 – 62 – 69 – 131