Who is Boris Becker?

Former German tennis icon Boris Becker was found guilty on Friday for illegally transferring wads of cash from a bank account after being declared bankrupt. 

“(It is) very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it. (It is) very difficult to make a lot of money with my name,” Becker told the jury on Friday, according to AP.

Early life 

Boris Franz Becker was born on November 22, 1967, in the German town of Leimin to Elvira and Karl-Heinz Becker. His father, an architect, founded a tennis centre in Leimin that grew Becker’s interest in the sport. Becker pursued his education at Heidelberg’s Helmholtz-Gymnasium. 

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Tennis trajectory

Becker started early, while others played with toys, 8-year-old Becker chose to clutch onto a tennis racquet. At the age of 17, the tennis icon made history by becoming the youngest champion of men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1985. Simultaneously, he also became the only German to ever win the title, and another title of the youngest person ever to bag any Grand Slam title in men’s singles. His strong serves and intense attacking style helped him achieve several wins along the way, including the Australian Open in 1991 and 1996, and U.S. Open in 1989. 

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Fast forward to 1999, Becker decided to retire from a career in competitive tennis that earned him 49 singles and 15 doubles titles.

Business ventures

After retirement, the 54-year-old ventured into television commentary and coaching among other pursuits. Between 2013 and 2016, Becker coached Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who won six Grand Slam titles during that time period. 

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His autobiography, ‘Boris Becker: The Player’, sheds light on his professional and personal life, including a messy divorce and a drug and alcohol addiction.