Boris Becker Says He Regrets Winning Wimbledon as a Teenager

Six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker has expressed regret over winning Wimbledon at the age of 17, citing the intense pressure it brought during and after his career in tennis.

Becker Regrets Winning Wimbledon as a Teenager

The German tennis player was just 17 years, seven months, and 15 days old when he defeated Kevin Curren in 1985, making him the youngest men’s singles champion in Wimbledon history. Becker went on to secure five additional Grand Slam titles, including two more at Wimbledon, earning his place as one of the most remarkable players of his era.

Nonetheless, Becker’s achievements were frequently overshadowed by his tumultuous personal life and ongoing financial struggles.

“If you remember any other wunderkind, they usually don’t make it to 50 because of the trials and tribulations that come after,” Becker said in a recent interview with BBC Sport.

“Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you talk to, it becomes a world sensation. It becomes the headline of some of the most important papers of tomorrow. And you’re just trying to mature, just trying to find your feet in the world.”

In 2023, Becker was released from a London prison after completing eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence for concealing £2.5 million in assets and loans to evade debt payments.

“I was too comfortable. I had too much money,” he said. “Nobody told me ‘no’. Everything was possible. In hindsight, that’s the recipe for disaster.”

Following his retirement in 1999, Becker transitioned into a role as a TV pundit and later spent three years coaching Novak Djokovic from 2013 to 2016, helping the Serbian player to win six of his 24 Grand Slam titles.

The former world number one was deported from the UK after his release from prison and went on to author a book about his experiences in jail.