Boom Boom: Boris Becker

No. 1 ranking: 28th January 1991
Duration: 12 weeks

BOOM BOOM! A German sensation crashed onto the tennis scene in 1985, as Boris Becker dived and blasted his way through the Wimbledon draw beating the unseeded Kevin Curran in four sets thus becoming the youngest male champion aged just 17.

For those that thought his win was a fluke he retained his title the following year to defeat Ivan Lendl and then reached four finals in a row, from 1988 to 1991, winning only once more in 1989. He also won the Australian twice (1991 and 1996) and the U.S. Open once in 1989 in a glittering career, which was a boom time for German tennis.

Boris Becker, who with Steffi Graf heralded the start of a 'Golden' period in German tennis throughout the 1980s and 1990s

Having taken the game up aged 12, Becker meteoric rise to the top began as he won three West German junior championships in 1982-84, signalling his chance to turn professional. By winning Wimbledon in 1985 he won the ATP Tour Most Improved Player of the Year award and four years later became ATP Player of the Year.

For Germany in Davis Cup, Becker finished his career with an astonishing 50-10 record, winning 36 singles and losing just three (to Casal in 1985, 1987 and Paul Haarhuis in 1995). He was in the winning squads of 1988 and 1989.

At one stage he seemed to have a personal duel with Stefan Edberg, but also had fierce rivalries with Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander reaching the top of the rankings briefly in 1991. The 6 foot 3-inch German, from Leimen, effectively retired in 1997, having lost to Pete Sampras in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, fittingly on Centre Court, but returned for one last title shot in 1999 to reach the fourth round.

Becker finished his career winning 49 singles and 15 doubles titles, amassing $25,080,956 in prize money and a 713-214 career match record.

Grand Slam Record

Australian Open Singles winner 1991, 1996

Wimbledon Singles winner 1985-86, 1989; Singles finalist 1988, 1990-91, 1995

U.S. Open Singles winner 1989

Tournament Record (inc. Davis Cup)

ATP Tour World Championships Singles winner 1992, 1995; Singles finalist 1994, 1996

German Davis Cup team member 1985-1990, 1993-96; winning side 1988-89

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