Boris Becker reflects on Wimbledon glory with regret: “Maybe 17 was too young”
Boris Becker has admitted that his breakthrough Wimbledon triumph at the age of 17 came at a cost he still feels today, saying the weight of sudden stardom shaped — and sometimes overshadowed — the rest of his life and career.
In 1985, the German teenager stunned the tennis world by defeating Kevin Curren to become the youngest men’s singles champion in Wimbledon history at 17 years, seven months, and 15 days.
The victory not only catapulted him to instant fame but also defined every chapter of his journey that followed.
“I’m happy to have won three [Wimbledons], but maybe 17 was too young. I was still a child,” Becker told BBC Sport while promoting his new autobiography. “When you start a second career everything is measured at this success of winning Wimbledon at 17. And that changed the road ahead tremendously.”
The burden of prodigy
Becker would go on to win five more Grand Slam titles — two further Wimbledons, two Australian Opens, and one US Open — securing his place among the game’s greats. Yet his path was rarely smooth.
“Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you talk to, it becomes a world sensation,” Becker said. “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 added a warning about the cost of being a wunderkind: “If you remember any other wunderkind, they usually don’t make it to 50 because of the trials and tribulations that come after.”
The pressure, he explained, was not confined to the tennis court. Fame and fortune arrived almost overnight. “I was too comfortable. I had too much money. Nobody told me ‘no”. Everything was possible. In hindsight, that’s the recipe for disaster,” Becker reflected.
Triumph and turbulence
Becker’s life after tennis was marked by highs and lows. He retired in 1999, later enjoying a successful stint as a TV pundit and coach, most notably working with Novak Djokovic between 2013 and 2016, during which the Serb won six of his 24 Grand Slam titles.
But his off-court struggles repeatedly made headlines. Financial troubles and a turbulent private life culminated in a 2022 conviction in London for hiding assets worth £2.5 million, resulting in a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Becker served eight months before being released and deported from the UK.
Even in prison, tennis was never far from his mind. He recalled watching Djokovic claim the 2022 Wimbledon title from behind bars. “I was supporting Djokovic at the time I saw him on TV, when he was winning matches and ultimately winning the title against Nick Kyrgios,” Becker said.
“That was very inspirational for me and in the end very emotional for me. My brother Novak is there and I’m in one of the worst prisons in the world. So it puts life into perspective.”
Now 57, Becker is seeking to reframe his past while embracing accountability for his mistakes. “You take accountability for your actions, which is very important because you cannot look back any more. You cannot change the past. You can only change the future because you live in today,” he said.
For Becker, that famous fortnight in 1985 remains both blessing and burden. It was a moment of history that defined his life in ways even he admits he was too young to fully understand.
