Boris Becker facts for kids
Becker in 2019
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| Full name | Boris Franz Becker | |||||||||||||
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| Country (sports) |
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| Born | 22 November 1967 Leimen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany |
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| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1984 (amateur 1983) | |||||||||||||
| Retired | 1999 | |||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | |||||||||||||
| Coach |
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| Prize money | US$25,080,956
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| Int. Tennis HoF | 2003 (member page) | |||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||
| Career record | 713–214 (76.9%) | |||||||||||||
| Career titles | 49 | |||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (28 January 1991) | |||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | W (1991, 1996) | |||||||||||||
| French Open | SF (1987, 1989, 1991) | |||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1985, 1986, 1989) | |||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1989) | |||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | ||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | W (1988, 1992, 1995) | |||||||||||||
| Grand Slam Cup | W (1996) | |||||||||||||
| WCT Finals | W (1988) | |||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | 3R (1992) | |||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||
| Career record | 254–136 (65.1%) | |||||||||||||
| Career titles | 15 | |||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (22 September 1986) | |||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | QF (1985) | |||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | ||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (1992) | |||||||||||||
| Team competitions | ||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | W (1988, 1989) | |||||||||||||
| Hopman Cup | W (1995) | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||||
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| Coaching achievements | ||||||||||||||
| Coachee singles titles total | 25 | |||||||||||||
| List of notable tournaments (with champion)
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Medal record
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Boris Franz Becker (born 22 November 1967) is a famous German former tennis player. He was once ranked the world's No. 1 player. Becker made history as the youngest male winner of the Wimbledon Championships singles title. He achieved this amazing feat at just 17 years old in 1985.
Many people consider Becker one of the greatest tennis players ever. Tennis magazine even included him in their list of the 40 greatest players of all time in 2006. He won a total of 64 titles during his career. This includes an Olympic gold medal in doubles in 1992.
Becker won 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles. His six Grand Slam singles titles include three Wimbledon Championships, two Australian Opens, and one US Open. He also won 13 Masters titles and three year-end championships. He led Germany to win the Davis Cup two years in a row, in 1988 and 1989.
Boris Becker is known for his powerful serve and all-court playing style. He is among the top ten players with the best win percentages in ATP Tour history. In 1989, both the ATP and the ITF named him Player of the Year. He spent 576 weeks in the Top 10, which is the 8th most of all time.
After his playing career, Becker became a tennis commentator and a well-known media personality. He also coached famous players like Novak Djokovic for three years. He has also played poker professionally. Like many public figures, he faced some financial challenges after his career.
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Beginnings
Boris Becker was born in 1967 in Leimen, a town in Germany. His parents were Elvira and Karl-Heinz Becker. His father, Karl-Heinz, was an architect who built a tennis center in Leimen. This is where young Boris learned to play tennis.
In 1974, Becker joined the TC Blau-Weiß Leimen tennis club. He started training with coach Boris Breskvar. By 1977, he was part of the junior team for the Baden Tennis Association. He quickly won the South German championship and the first German Youth Tennis Tournament.
In 1978, the German Tennis Federation chose him for their top junior team. The Federation helped pay for Becker's training. In 1981, he joined the Federation's main men's team. He won the doubles title at the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in 1982.
Amazing Tennis Career
Boris Becker turned professional in 1984. He was coached by Günther Bosch and managed by Ion Ţiriac. That same year, he won his first professional doubles title in Munich.
Wimbledon Wins and Records
As a teenager, Becker won the Tennis World Young Masters in 1985. A few weeks later, he won his first major singles title at Queen's Club. Then, on July 7, 1985, he made history. He became the first unseeded player and the first German to win the Wimbledon singles title. He beat Kevin Curren in the final.
Becker was only 17 years old and ranked 20th in the world at the time. He was the youngest male Grand Slam singles champion ever. This record was later broken by Michael Chang in 1989. Two months after Wimbledon, Becker became the youngest winner of the Cincinnati Open.
In 1986, Becker successfully defended his Wimbledon title. He defeated the No. 1 player, Ivan Lendl, in the final. In 1987, he lost early at Wimbledon to Peter Doohan. That year, Becker played John McEnroe in one of the longest matches in Davis Cup history. Becker won after more than six hours of play.
Rivalries and More Grand Slams
In 1988, Becker reached the Wimbledon final again. He lost to Stefan Edberg, starting a big rivalry. Becker also helped West Germany win its first Davis Cup in 1988. He won the year-end Masters title in New York City.
The year 1989 was special for Becker. He won two Grand Slam singles titles. He beat Edberg in the Wimbledon final and then Lendl in the US Open final. He also helped West Germany keep the Davis Cup. He beat Andre Agassi in a memorable semifinal match. Because of these wins, the ATP Tour named Becker Player of the Year.
In 1990, Becker met Edberg in the Wimbledon final for the third year in a row. This time, he lost in a close five-set match. He also lost to Agassi in the US Open semifinals.
Becker reached the Australian Open final for the first time in 1991. He defeated Lendl to become the No. 1 ranked player in the world. He was ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks in 1991. He reached his fourth straight Wimbledon final but lost to Michael Stich. Becker and Stich were rivals but teamed up in 1992. They won the men's doubles gold medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
In 1992, Becker won seven tour titles. This included his second ATP Tour World Championships.
Later Career Highlights
By 1995, Becker had faced some challenges off the court. He reached the Wimbledon final for the seventh time that year. He beat Agassi in the semifinals but lost to Pete Sampras in the final. He won the year-end ATP Tour World Championships for the third and final time.
Becker's sixth and last Grand Slam title came in 1996. He defeated Michael Chang in the final of the Australian Open. He won the Queen's Club Championships for the fourth time. Later that year, he won the Grand Slam Cup. In 1997, Becker lost to Sampras in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. He played Wimbledon one more time in 1999, losing in the fourth round.
Becker played best on fast surfaces like grass courts. He never won a singles title on clay courts. However, he won an Olympic Gold Medal on clay in doubles with Michael Stich in 1992.
Throughout his career, Becker won 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles. He won a record-equalling four singles titles at London's Queen's Club. In the Davis Cup, his record was 54 wins and 12 losses. He also won the Hopman Cup (1995) and the World Team Cup (1989 and 1998) for Germany. He is the first male player to reach 7 Wimbledon finals in the modern era.
In 2003, Boris Becker was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He sometimes plays in senior tennis tours and works as a commentator for the BBC at Wimbledon.
Playing Style
Becker's game was known for his fast and accurate serve. This earned him nicknames like "Boom Boom" and "Der Bomber." He was also excellent at volleying at the net. He could dive and roll to hit shots, which fans loved. These moves were called the 'Becker dive' and 'Becker roll'.
He also had a powerful forehand and a strong return of serve. Sometimes, he would try to hit shots from the back of the court, even though he was known for serve-and-volley.
Becker was very emotional on the court. He would sometimes get upset if he felt he was playing badly. His exciting play led to new tennis terms. These included the Becker Blocker (his early return shot) and the Becker Hecht (a flying lunge).
Becker was one of the best players on grass courts and carpet courts. He had less success on clay. He never won a top singles title on clay. However, he did win the 1992 men's doubles Olympic gold medal on clay with Michael Stich.
Career Statistics
Singles Performance Timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
| West Germany | Germany | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tournament | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | SR | W–L | Win % |
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| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | QF | 2R | NH | 4R | A | 4R | QF | W | 3R | 1R | A | 1R | W | 1R | A | A | 2 / 11 | 29–9 | 76% |
| French Open | A | A | 2R | QF | SF | 4R | SF | 1R | SF | A | 2R | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 9 | 26–9 | 74% |
| Wimbledon | A | 3R | W | W | 2R | F | W | F | F | QF | SF | SF | F | 3R | QF | A | 4R | 3 / 15 | 71–12 | 86% |
| US Open | A | A | 4R | SF | 4R | 2R | W | SF | 3R | 4R | 4R | 1R | SF | A | A | A | A | 1 / 11 | 37–10 | 79% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 6–2 | 11–3 | 16–2 | 11–4 | 10–3 | 22–2 | 15–4 | 20–3 | 9–3 | 9–4 | 5–2 | 13–4 | 9–1 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 6 / 46 | 163–40 | 80% |
| Year-end championships | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennis Masters Cup | DNQ | F | F | RR | W | F | SF | RR | W | DNQ | F | W | F | did not qualify | 3 / 11 | 36–13 | 73% | |||
| WCT Finals | did not qualify | F | A | W | A | discontinued | 1 / 2 | 5–1 | 83% | |||||||||||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 1–2 | 7–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 5–2 | 6–2 | 7–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5 / 18 | 48–18 | 73% |
| Year-end ranking | 563 | 66 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 62 | 69 | 131 | $25,080,956 | ||
Records Achieved
- These records were set during the Open Era of tennis.
- Records in bold mean they are unique achievements.
- ^ means a consecutive streak.
| Championship | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wimbledon | 1985 | Youngest Wimbledon singles champion | Stands alone |
| 1985 | unseeded winner of singles title | Goran Ivanišević | |
| Grand Prix | 1986 | 3 titles in three weeks across three continents (Sydney, Tokyo, Paris) | Stands alone |
| ATP Championship series | 1990 | 4 titles won in a single season | Juan Martín del Potro Stefan Edberg |
| Stockholm Open | 1988, 1990–1991, 1994 | 4 singles titles | John McEnroe |
Place in Tennis History
Tennis magazine ranked Becker as the 11th best male player from 1965 to 2005.
Professional Awards
- ITF World Champion: 1989.
- ATP Player of the Year: 1989.
- ATP Most Improved Player: 1985.
Life After Retirement
After retiring from playing tennis, Becker found new interests. He said that after winning so much by age 22, he looked for new challenges outside of tennis.
Other Ventures
Since 2000, Becker has been a main owner of the tennis part of Völkl Inc.. This company makes tennis racquets and clothing.
In 2003, Becker's autobiography, Augenblick, verweile doch... (meaning The Player), was published. It became a bestseller. In May 2009, he launched his own online media platform, Boris Becker TV. This website shares clips from his career and daily life.
In June 2015, another book about Becker was released. It was called Boris Becker's Wimbledon: My Life and Career at the All England Club. Novak Djokovic, who Becker coached, wrote the foreword.
Tennis Commentator and Coach
Becker became a commentator for the BBC at Wimbledon in 2002. He continued this role for many years. He moved to London in 2012.
From 2017, Becker also appeared on Eurosport as a tennis expert. He often worked with other former tennis players.
Becker has also done administrative work in sports. He was on the economic advisory board of Bayern Munich for ten years. In 2017, he became the head of men's tennis for the German Tennis Federation. He also supports the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
In December 2013, Novak Djokovic announced that Boris Becker would be his head coach. Becker then stopped his commentating job with the BBC. They worked together for three seasons until December 2016. During this time, Djokovic won six Grand Slam titles and 14 Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic also won the French Open in 2016, a Grand Slam title Becker himself never won.
Images for kids
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Boris Becker with Lilian de Carvalho in 2024.jpg
Becker with Lilian de Carvalho in 2024
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Becker with Barbara Feltus in 1992
See also
In Spanish: Boris Becker para niños
- Becker–Edberg rivalry
