Boris Becker

Boris Becker
Becker in 2019
Full nameBoris Franz Becker
Country (sports)
Born (1967-11-22) 22 November 1967
Leimen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Turned pro1984 (amateur 1983)
Retired1999
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach
  • Günther Bosch (1976–87)
  • Ion Țiriac (1984–93)
  • Bob Brett (1987–91)
  • Tomáš Šmíd (1991–92)
  • Eric Jelen (1992, 1993)
  • Günter Bresnik (1992–93)
  • Nick Bollettieri (1993–95)
  • Mike De Palmer (1995–99)
Prize moneyUS$25,080,956
  •  17th all-time leader in earnings
Int. Tennis HoF2003 (member page)
Singles
Career record713–214 (76.9%)
Career titles49
Highest rankingNo. 1 (28 January 1991)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1991, 1996)
French OpenSF (1987, 1989, 1991)
WimbledonW (1985, 1986, 1989)
US OpenW (1989)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsW (1988, 1992, 1995)
Grand Slam CupW (1996)
WCT FinalsW (1988)
Olympic Games3R (1992)
Doubles
Career record254–136 (65.1%)
Career titles15
Highest rankingNo. 6 (22 September 1986)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1985)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic GamesW (1992)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1988, 1989)
Hopman CupW (1995)
Coaching career (2013–2016, 2023-2024)
Coaching achievements
Coachee singles titles total25
List of notable tournaments
(with champion)
Medal record
Men's tennis
Representing  Germany
Olympic Games
1992 Barcelona Men's doubles

Boris Franz Becker (German: [ˈboːʁɪs ˈbɛkɐ] ; born 22 November 1967) is a German former professional tennis player, tennis coach and a commentator. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Becker is one of the greatest players of all time, winning 49 career singles and 15 doubles titles, including six singles majors: three Wimbledon Championships, two Australian Opens and one US Open.[2][3][4][5] He also won 13 Masters titles, three year-end championships, an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles in 1992, and led Germany to two Davis Cup titles in 1988 and 1989. Becker is the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles Wimbledon title, a feat he accomplished aged 17 in 1985.

Becker is often credited as the pioneer of power tennis with his fast serve and all-court game.[6] He is among the top ten players with the best win percentages in the Open Era.[7] In 1989, he was voted the Player of the Year by both the ATP and the ITF. He holds a win percentage of 92.70% in Davis Cup singles rubbers, a win loss record of 38–3 and two championships for Germany.[8] In his autobiography, Andre Agassi described Becker as the world's most popular tennis star in the late 1980s. Becker was featured at number 18 in the list of Tennis magazine's 40 greatest players of all time in 2006.[9][10][11][12]

After his playing career ended, Becker became a tennis commentator and media personality, and his personal relationships were discussed in news outlets. He has engaged in numerous ventures, including coaching Novak Djokovic for three years, playing poker professionally, and working for an online poker company.[13] In October 2002, the Munich District Court gave Becker a suspended two-year prison sentence for tax evasion. He declared bankruptcy in the UK in 2017. In April 2022, he was sentenced by UK courts to two and a half years in prison for hiding assets and loans that the court required him to disclose to creditors and the bankruptcy trustee. On 15 December 2022, he was released from prison early, having served eight months, and was deported to Germany by UK authorities.[14][15][16]

  1. ^ "Boris Becker | Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. ^ Tignor, Steve (5 August 2025). "Becker Hall of Famers". tennisfame.com. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  3. ^ Tignor, Steve (5 August 2025). "Boris Becker Bio & titles". atptour.com. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  4. ^ Garber, Greg; Neumann, Thomas; Howard, Johnette (23 June 2016). "Tennis' top 20 of all time". ESPN.com. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time". Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. ^ Tignor, Steve (9 July 2015). "Becker ushers in power tennis with Wimbledon win". tennis.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Top 10 best ATP win percentages of all time". tennishead.net. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  8. ^ "David Cup Boris Becker". daviscup.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  9. ^ Garber, Greg; Neumann, Thomas; Howard, Johnette (23 June 2016). "Tennis' top 20 of all time". ESPN.com. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time". Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  11. ^ "The Best Male Tennis Players". tenniscreative.com. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ^ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era". tennis.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  13. ^ Waldie, Paul (17 June 2018). "Former tennis star Boris Becker battles against bankruptcy". Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Boris Becker: Tennis player freed from UK jail and is 'deported' to Germany". Sky News. 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  16. ^ McLoughlin, Bill (15 December 2022). "Boris Becker freed from UK jail and set to be deported to Germany". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.