Boris Becker

By Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

It was a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1985. I was 8-years-old and I didn’t know much about tennis.

My uncle told me a “kid” had made it to the Wimbledon finals, so I joined him on the couch and watched the match. The kid’s name was Boris Becker, and I was mesmerized by him immediately.

Becker was a striking figure with reddish-blonde hair and a lanky 6-foot-3 frame, which belied his 17 years. He displayed a tremendous passion for the game and an unrelenting drive to win.

Becker’s opponent in the finals was South African Kevin Curren. Curren had beaten tennis legends John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors in straight sets on his way to the finals and was the prohibitive favorite against the inexperienced Becker.

Becker was unphased by the aura of center court at the most prestigious tournament in tennis, exuding a brash arrogance as the match began. He appeared to sneer in Curren’s direction several times during the match, attempting to intimidate the veteran, 10 years his elder.

Becker’s game, built around an explosive first serve, which later earned him the nickname “Boom Boom”, was tailor made for the fast grass surface at Wimbledon. After his serve propelled him onto the court, he charged the net, where his long reach made him difficult to pass. If his opponent was fortunate enough to return his serve, Becker would put him away with a well placed volley.

The fiery youngster exalted the typically reserved All England Club crowd by diving after balls. When he won a big point he pumped his fist in a hard, sharp manner - almost viciously - as if he were slicing through his opponent. A couple of times during the match, he even broke into an ecstatic victory dance, which came to be known as “the Becker Shuffle.”

Becker defeated Curren in four sets, becoming the first unseeded player to win Wimbledon and the youngest male to win a Grand Slam tournament at 17 years and seven months (a record eclipsed by Michael Chang when he won the 1989 French open at 17 years and three months).

He was the first German to win Wimbledon and became a national hero overnight, a level of reverence he was never quite comfortable with. Years later he reflected, “When you are thrown onto the stage at 17 in such an enormous way, it becomes living on the edge, because every step you take, every word you speak, every action you do becomes headline news. And it became, for me, life or death.”

After watching Becker win Wimbledon, I became a huge tennis fan, never missing a televised Becker match. I started playing the game all the time. I wanted to be just like him. I lunged at balls as he did, I mastered his fist pump and practiced my serve over and over again until I had perfected the unique rocking motion which he used to initiate his serve.

In 1986, Becker proved his Wimbledon title was not a fluke, defending his crown by defeating the No. 1 player in the world, Ivan Lendl, in straight sets.

In addition to a booming serve and great net play, Becker had a dangerous forehand and an excellent return of serve. These skills, combined with an indomitable will to win, made him a threat to take down every tournament he entered. His emotional demeanor on the court was a welcomed contrast to the stoicism of the other top players on the Tour, such as Lendl and Mats Wilander, and endeared him to young fans like myself.

He had his best year as a professional in 1989. He won his third Wimbledon title by defeating his rival, Stefan Edberg, in the finals (he lost to Edberg in the Wimbledon finals in 1988 and 1990). A few months later, he beat Lendl to win the U.S. Open.

Throughout the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Becker was often ranked No. 2 in the world, behind either Lendl, Edberg or Wilander. However, after winning the Australian Open in 1991, he briefly became the top-ranked player in the world.

Becker was an introspective man who tended to examine the deeper issues of life. He once asked, “Where do you go when you’re the best in the world? What’s next?” During the early 1990s, it seemed as if he was consumed by some type of existential angst, his emotions often getting the best of him on the court.

When he didn’t play well he screamed and cursed at himself and often smashed his racquet. During his 1991 Wimbledon finals match against fellow countryman Michael Stich, he seemed to be battling himself more than his opponent. Always the fierce competitor, he was a manifestation of the words of Neil Young, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”

Becker continued to play professional tennis into the late 90s, but his emotional intensity and the burdens of fame took their toll. His play tailed off towards the end of his career, though he had one last memorable run on Center Court at Wimbledon in 1997, where he battled the great Pete Samprass in the quarterfinals before falling in four sets.

Becker concluded his career with 49 singles titles, including six Grand Slams and a stellar 38-3 singles record in Davis Cup play. He reached the Wimbledon finals seven times in 10 years, winning the tournament three times. He remains a crowd favorite at the All England Club to this day.

He and Stich won the gold medal in doubles at the 1992 Olympics, and in 2003 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

More significant than any accolades or awards he received, Boris Becker’s passion for tennis inspired many boys and girls like myself to play the sport. He defined for us what it means to be a competitor. That’s why I’m giving Boris Becker some Old School Love today.