Boris Becker: tennis in its most unusual form
45-year-old former World No. 1, Boris Becker remains one of the most legendary tennis stars to have ever graced the game.
Gunther Bosch, Boris Becker’s Romanian born coach remembers the first time he ever saw Boris. It was in Biberach, Germany. More than fifty youngsters were playing in front of professional trainers of the German Tennis Association, to see who would be given further individual training, paid courses and invitations to international tennis tournaments.
Among the fifty super enthusiastic tennis players was a nine-year-old boy. He had a round face, emphasized by his hair, which was in a ponytail. He was very chubby and had shapeless legs; with a lot of fat and no muscle. Bosch also remembers the odd, unique style of tennis that boy used to play. He’d throw himself at the ball like a goalkeeper and rage when he didn’t get it. He was a remarkable kid. Bosch stopped and watched him. He noted that the young boy’s knees were grazed and his arms were sore. On inquiring he came to understand that the child’s name was Boris Becker.
Now back to the selection at the Tennis Association. Boris failed the selection. Gunther Bosch wasn’t able to do anything about it since he was only a deputy national trainer. He hadn’t been in Germany for long; and he was there only as an observer. He could have said whatever he thought and wanted to voice, but it wouldn’t count for much. The trainers had a checklist: running, technique and many other individual tests. In the 30-metre sprint, Boris was one of the last to waddle past the finishing line. However, there was no test for ‘eyes’ or ‘concentration’.
Bosch still remembered the unbelievable concentration in Boris’ eyes. He wasn’t at all like other children of that age group. He stared so hard at the ball as it flew towards him. It was impossible for a nine-year-old, thought Gunther Bosch. Usually anything and everything was enough to catch the attention of a young child- butterflies, car horns, laughter from the adjoining court, and any other distraction. Nobody else had Boris’ level of attention.
Off the tennis court, Boris was akin to any other child in his age group. But the minute Boris had the racket in his hand, he was a completely different person altogether. The way he looked at the ball and the ball only, the way his eyes worked, his concentration, it was indeed a spectacle to watch.
Boris soon beat the odds and became a world-renowned tennis player. People still cheer for Boris Becker world over, be it in America, Japan or Great Britain, the list goes on and on. A gold medalist in the Olympics, the six-time Grand Slam champion is the youngest ever man to win a Wimbledon trophy. He won two Wimbledons, one aged seventeen and the other one at eighteen.
Boris also won five prestigious indoor championship titles, three ATP Masters World Tour Finals (he is the second player to do so with 8 finals, the first is Ivan Lendl with 9 finals), one WCT Finals and one Grand Slam Trophy. Additionally, Boris also won five Masters 1000 titles and eight Championship Series titles.
Tennis Magazine placed Boris 18th on the list of top 40 tennis stars circa 1965-2005. He is a legend in his own right.