“A sign of inadequacy, where German sport is today!”
In the Eurosport podcast “Das Gelbe vom Ball” tennis legend Boris Becker (55) sharply criticizes the sports nation Germany! The current condition is bad. The future looks bleak. How come?
With the exception of Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (25), the future of German sport does not look particularly rosy for Becker. “I saw the Tokyo Olympics and the medal table. Nobody got upset that we were so bad,” explains the 55-year-old. “With all due respect to all great athletes, for me it was a sign of failure where German sport is today!”
Who does it better? For Becker, Federer is the measure of all things in terms of “sports ambassador”. He explains: “The world has never seen anything like it.”
For the 55-year-old, the worries about youngsters are not just a tennis problem. But this is exactly where he poses the question: what about the next generation?
“Roger Federer is already gone, Rafael Nadal is already one step away for me. He will play Paris, after that I see a question mark. Novak Djokovic will definitely pull through this season, but if he manages the 23 titles and turns 36 next year, then it’s a matter of time,” explains Becker.
For Becker it is clear: “With Federer, Nadal and Djokovic we have or had three idols who not only attracted tennis fans but sports fans in general. As a result, our sport has become more global and richer.” So for the next generation of (tennis) stars, it’s now about “not just winning, but also representing something – and that’s a completely different job.”
