Boris Becker reveals in the podcast why Wimbledon almost never happened in 1985

Boris Becker’s first birthday will be celebrated in Leimen on November 22, 1967, which is why Becker will always be “the Leimen” later, just like Michael Schumacher “the Kerpener”. The second, “public birthday”, as Becker says, will take place on July 7, 1985 in London, Wimbledon.

Becker has won a lot in his career, but his first triumph at the tennis mecca as a 17-year-old will always form the basis. “If this day hadn’t happened, there wouldn’t be a lot of stories about my person,” says Becker in the new podcast episode of “Boris Becker – The Fifth Sentence”.

Together with presenter Johannes B. Kerner, he takes a trip back in time, 35 years back and actually 36, because Wimbledon only means a big bang for the German public. For Becker it is the early high point of a development. And yet by a hair – or better: a handshake – everything would have turned out differently.

Really everything.

Boris Becker: he is “totally desperate” before Wimbledon triumph

When Becker recapitulates the sequence of events, it looks like it was only the week before last. The opponents, the results, the circumstances, his fund is enormous and detailed.

Becker talks about the beginnings in the 80s, discussions with his parents, discussions with the principal, school or sport, “the profession of professional athlete did not exist like that”, but the young Boris pushes through a two-year leave of absence. He wants to try tennis. So right.

As early as 1984 he reached the third round at Wimbledon, at the age of 16. Then ligaments tear in his ankle, nothing works, for a long time, it must have been an eternity, half a year or so. Training “like a berserk”, but after umpteen defeats Becker is “totally desperate”. Do you prefer school? No.

Kerner listens pleasantly before he nicely summarizes the arc of Wimbledon 1985. Becker’s stories show “that what was a rocket launch for us actually had a very long ramp – both athletic and personal”.

Becker is about to give up – sheer luck keeps him in the tournament

The craziest story of the Wimbledon triumph is not the final against Kevin Curren, although Becker surgically describes how his hands wiggle when he served to win the match: “I couldn’t feel my arm anymore, I couldn’t throw the ball up, everything blocked. I was completely hectic. “

• Podcast tip on Amazon Music: Boris Becker speaks openly with Johannes B. Kerner about the challenges, successes and disappointments of his life: On December 8th, the Amazon Original Podcast “Boris Becker – The Fifth Sentence” started exclusively on Amazon Music. Amazon Music Podcasts are available to members via the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android, via Amazon Echo devices and at music.amazon.de/podcasts. (Display)

The whole thing almost never happened. In the round of 16 against Tim Mayotte, Becker kinks, again this damned right ankle. “I was in incredible pain and couldn’t go on playing – I thought.” Becker is 1: 2 behind, he is hanging around the net and internally preparing the handshake with Mayotte. In tennis, a handshake automatically and also formally legally means: abandonment.

Becker saves pure happiness. Mayotte turned his back on him, “He didn’t even check it. Had he been closer to the net – I would have guaranteed to have stretched my arm and he would have won by knocking out.”

Becker doesn’t stretch out his arm like that.

Becker thinks: “Pull yourself together, Boris!”

For the final on July 7th, “Germany is suddenly sitting in front of the television”, says Kerner, even Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker will be flown in to Wimbledon, Becker recalls. Before that, tennis was a sport for the newspaper niche in this country.

2: 1 lead after sets, 5: 4 lead in the 4th set. Four points are missing. Then: thundering head cinema. A double mistake as a self-fulfilling prophecy. “I go to him myself and look up: Dear God, I need four good serves now,” mused Becker. “I’ll do whatever you want, but give me four good serves now.”

The good Lord gives him a good serve. And another one. And another one. “I heard this murmur from the audience and I noticed: Something was happening. I said to myself: Pull yourself together, Boris! Major needs another serve.”

Curren wavers. Becker throws the ball up and thunders out. Two seconds later he feels “like I can fly”.

And the rest – that’s history.

The new episode of “Boris Becker – The Fifth Movement” will be released on December 29th on Amazon Music.