Boris Becker has admitted that he regrets winning Wimbledon as a teenager, saying the triumph placed an unbearable weight on his shoulders during and long after his career.
The German shocked the sporting world in 1985 when, at just 17 years, seven months and 15 days old, he defeated Kevin Curren to become the youngest men’s singles champion in Wimbledon history. The victory catapulted him to global stardom overnight.
Boris Becker: The rise and fall
Becker went on to win five more Grand Slam titles — including two more Wimbledon crowns — cementing his place among the greats of his generation. Yet, the brilliance on court was often overshadowed by turbulence off it.
His private life was marred by controversies, financial difficulties, and, most notably, a prison sentence.
In 2023, Becker was released from a London jail after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence for concealing £2.5m worth of assets and loans in an attempt to avoid paying debts.
Reflecting on his early success, Becker told BBC Sport in an interview marking the release of his new autobiography that the pressure of being a “wunderkind” came at a steep cost.
“If you remember any other wunderkind (wonderkid), they usually don’t make it to 50 because of the trials and tribulations that come after,” Becker said, as quoted by the BBC.
“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.”
He admitted that winning Wimbledon so young set an almost impossible benchmark for the rest of his life:
“When you start a second career everything is measured at this success of winning Wimbledon at 17. And that changed the road ahead tremendously. I’m happy to have won three, but maybe 17 was too young. I was still a child.”