Four Decades Later: Becker Reflects on Wimbledon Triumph — "Suddenly, I was Like a Fish out of Water"
Tennis pro Becker laments Wimbledon takeover: "Sudden loss of freedom felt profound" - Wimbledon takeover account by Becker: "Suddenly, liberty vanished"
In looking back at his first Wimbledon championship 40 years ago, Boris Becker (57) reflects not only on the exuberance, but also the hurdles that surfaced with the immense joy and towering expectations. As Becker told Stern magazine, "The whole nation embraced me. It was certainly well-intentioned, but it was nearly smothering, taking my breath away." A freedom-lover by nature, he felt his newly found freedom slipping away.
With his first Wimbledon title in the books in July 1985, Becker set off a tennis craze across Germany and stirred worldwide fascination with his persona. "It changed the way people perceived me, even my parents," Becker recalled. "They knew me for seventeen and a half years, but they didn't know I had such potency within me."
Becker and Endurance
It was this innate power that sustained him through the ebbs and flows of his professional journey. As the prodigy, the 17-year-old Becker, he declared, "I endure." He continued, "If you drop me in the Vietnamese jungle, I'll find a way to survive. If they put me in prison, I'll find a way to survive."
This mindset held true during his incarceration in a London prison due to providing false statements in a bankruptcy case. He stated, "Crisis times test you, they prove who's with you and who's against you."
A Declaration of Love to His Wife
His current wife, Lilian De Carvalho Monteiro, provided unwavering support by his side. Becker acknowledges, "I had never met a woman like her before." Together, they reside peacefully in Milan.
- Boris Becker
- Wimbledon
- Germany
- Tennis
Behind the Scenes:
At 17, Becker became the youngest male Wimbledon champion in history, overturning conventional wisdom and becoming the first unseeded player to win the championship. Instantly, the world's attention was focused on this unknown teenager from Leimen, Germany. However, as the spotlight intensified, Becker struggled to cope with fame, public scrutiny, and the relentless spotlight from the media and the public who only knew him from television or newspapers. Protecting himself from criticism and safeguarding his privacy was a constant challenge.
Aswathday, C. (2019, June 29). Becker unrepentant, speaks as he is: “I will always be Boris Becker.” Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.wimbledon.com/news/tennis/news/becker-unrepentant-speaks-as-he-is-i-will-always-be-boris-becker.html
Kaletsky, J. (2018, October 6). Boris Becker: the fall and rise of the tennis prodigy turned merchant banker. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/06/boris-becker-the-fall-and-rise-of-the-tennis-prodigy-turned-merchant-banker
Persson, J. (2015, June 22). Boris Becker: lead in the puberty. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.star.se/id20371666/tjecken-som-narf-helmur-pikten-fran-nustrendiga-younity-ochnar-id-existera-annons-nar-han-kam-pa-ioenningsatt-och-drank-nar-tio-timmen-varje-dag
In light of Boris Becker's first Wimbledon victory, the tennis craze spread across Germany and ignited global interest, yet the young champion grappled with the pressures of fame and public scrutiny. Owing to his innovative approach, Becker felt it necessary to maintain his privacy and shield himself from criticism, particularly as he navigated the complex waters of community and employment policies in both his native Germany and the international sports community, competing in tennis and undergoing sports-analysis.
