Characteristics
Biography of Boris Becker
When we first saw a picture of little Anna in the newspaper, Boris Becker could no longer deny his fatherhood. Red-blonde hair, pale blue eyes and a smile like Dad. Becker had stubbornly resisted admitting to the brief affair with the exotic model Angela Ermakowa in the laundry room of a London hotel. The press went crazy, the “seed theft” was covered in all the newspapers.
His greatest triumph
But even such stories cannot harm the living monument of Boris Becker. Since the Leimen native won the world’s most important tennis tournament at Wimbledon in 1985 when he was just 17, he has been a folk hero. In his career he won over 50 titles, three of them in “his living room” at Wimbledon. Together with Steffi Graf, “Bum Bum Boris” triggered a nationwide tennis boom in Germany in the 80s and 90s.
Boris and the women: Barbara, Sabrina, Caroline, Patrice, Lilly
But the price of fame is a public private life. The media reported in detail about his separation from his wife Barbara Becker (née Feltus), with whom he has two sons. After that, he was eagerly looking for “Mrs. Right” and was constantly spotted with new women. Although he said he doesn’t have a fixed “prey scheme”, if you take a closer look at the women at his side, including Sabrina Setlur, Caroline Rocher and Patrice Farameh, you might discover certain similarities. Despite his many relationships, Becker always remained confident: “I will get married again in my life. Absolutely,” he said in an interview in 2006. He was right: In June 2009, the former tennis professional led his fiancée Sharlely Kerssenberg, who has since been known as Lilly Becker, to the altar. The couple celebrated a brilliant wedding in St. Moritz, lived in London with their son Amadeus for years and – officially confirmed – separated in May 2018.
His greatest pride: his children
Little Anna is now a teenager and after all the trouble surrounding the laundry room, Boris now has a really good relationship with his little one. He often visits her in London to cuddle and has already taught her a few words in German. At the beginning of 2006, Anna even met her two brothers Noah and Elias. In 2010, a third son, Amadeus, from Boris’ second wife Lilly, joined the flock. The father of four is proud of all his offspring:
“My children are a gift from God, the most beautiful thing in life. Everything is temporary, only the family remains.”
Career after tennis
Even after his tennis career ended in 1999, Boris still managed to remain present in the media and that’s not just because of his constantly changing wives. The ex-professional athlete, for example, worked as an advertising face for brands such as AOL or König Pilsener, is a commentator on the BBC, Premiere and DSF and has published a total of three books so far – two autobiographies “A moment, linger…” and “Life is not Game” and the guide “What makes children strong”. He also always provides his fans with news via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Boris didn’t completely withdraw from tennis either, so he became a coach himself in 2013 and helped Novak Djokovic win Wimbledon a year later. What can you say? Boris Becker has always been a winner.
Boris Becker is calling it quits
But after Djokovic has won so much, his enthusiasm for training leaves him. The head coach reprimands this and the two separate. Boris has never been one to rest on his laurels. But the blonde boy can’t keep his eyes off the tennis court. From January 16th to 29th, 2017, the game lover will be analyzing the matches at the Australian Open in Melbourne as an expert for the Eurosport television channel.
The entrepreneur and gambler
The end of the training era with Djokovic was not his only separation in 2016: on the advice of his manager Ion Tiriac, Boris the entrepreneur once bought three Mercedes Benz car dealerships in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The car dealerships were actually an important mainstay for the Beckers, but such smaller companies are no longer profitable and the sports legend will look for something new. The three-time Wimbledon winner sells to Knut Brinkmann’s larger Mercedes dealer chain. His love of poker is less financially dangerous for him: The tennis icon plays as an ambassador for the online provider Partypoker, after Boris Becker previously sat at the poker table for Pokerstars at international tournaments until 2013.
Becker’s finances
His career trajectory suggests that there is one thing Boris has never had to worry about: good money. At an event in October 2020, he said money was never a priority for him. And yet he has to answer in court because of his finances! Insolvency proceedings were opened in 2017, which could become really serious three years later. Boris is alleged to have concealed financial details, which could see him jailed for up to seven years.
Boris Becker as tennis boss
In the summer of 2017, Boris Becker, the tennis legend with the golden mane, was introduced as the new “Head of Men’s Tennis” of the German Tennis Federation (DTB). As a three-time Wimbledon winner and six-time Grand Slam winner, he was supposed to bring German men’s tennis back into shape, which had disappeared since his own playing career. No sooner said than done: Boris Becker set about inspiring young players, identifying talent and giving the German tennis scene the much-needed energy. Becker held the reins for three years – he introduced innovative training programs and established partnerships with sponsors.
The shock followed in 2020: Boris Becker resigned from his position as head of men’s tennis. The former tennis star explained that he no longer had the time to continue the “extensive task”. His successor: Davis Cup team boss Michael Kohlmann. But what is really behind his resignation? After all, bankruptcy proceedings were still ongoing at the time and he was accused of hiding assets from his creditors. These problems seem to have made it difficult for Becker to concentrate on his work at the DTB – and he decided to resign from his position.
Imprisonment and return as a coach
In fact, his finances were to be his downfall: Boris Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his concealment of assets and concealment of debts. But after eight months he was released early and deported to Germany – and he returned to tennis with a new passion and a new mission. In autumn 2023, Boris Becker confirmed that he would henceforth look after the talented but occasionally temperamental Holger Rune. The duo’s partnership caused a stir, with some wondering if this combo would work together. But Becker knows what he can do and was unimpressed: “Holger is a rough diamond that needs to be polished,” explained Becker in the Eurosport podcast. The super coach is back!