Wimbledon: Becker and the significant nineties
From 1989 to 2019: Boris Becker experienced significant moments in Wimbledon during "Nine Years": triumph 30 years ago and retirement 20 years ago. A look back at the 30th anniversary.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jul 09, 2019, 10:46 am
These days, when Boris Becker steps back from commentators on the famous Center Court to the International Television Center, almost everything is the same as it used to be in Wimbledon. Becker is surrounded by the fans, every now and then the three-time champion of the Open English Championships has to line up for a photo, he calmly writes the requested autographs. Becker really enjoys the scenery, he enjoys the contact with the tennis friends. "Wimbledon is always the best time of the year," says Becker, "it is no different today than it was back then. This location has always been good to me, it is my emotional home."
2019 is a very special Wimbledon year for Becker. For good and not so good reasons. The nineties are always an anniversary for the now 51-year-old lawn master, they are an opportunity for a nostalgic, sentimental review. 30 years ago the picture of a German complete triumph was unique, at the end of the elimination games Steffi Graf and he posed together with the trophies at the winning banquet. Becker's win against Stefan Edberg was the third and last of his successes, but he did not know that on Sunday's final Sunday, losing the final three times in 1990, 1991 and 1995, in 1991 in his perhaps bitterest moment against a certain Michael Stich. Graf and Becker are now both in their fifties, "hard to believe," says Becker, "time is running out."
Ten years after their mutual success, Graf and Becker also contested their last Grand Slam tournament side by side - in Wimbledon, of course, in 1999. Becker had already resigned in 1997, but then made a U-turn. He wanted to "say goodbye" from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, 1999, with a little more style and shape. Almost a week and a half later Becker kept the tennis world in suspense again, in a rain-ridden tournament he won the first three rounds against the Scot Miles McLagan, against his compatriot Nicolas Kiefer and against the up-and-coming Australian Lleyton Hewitt, before two days later than planned Round of 16 at Pat Rafter failed on Wednesday the second week of the tournament. "The old lion from glue" once again impressed, wrote the "Daily Telegraph" at that time. "Now I'm leaving and made my peace with Wimbledon," Becker said.
However, the turbulence that was to shape his life after his tennis career began the night after his last appearance against Rafter. Becker cleaned a few beers with the journalists in the German House, he was chauffeured into the city, and later that Wednesday there was a quick, consequential tech mess with the Russian model Angela Ermakowa. The whole thing later became known as a broom closet affair, but only a few months later when Becker received a letter from a lawyer telling him that he would become a father again. The consequences were hard to feel, partly to this day: his marriage to Barbara, the first wife, broke up, he paid millions in maintenance payments to several bank accounts, including for his daughter Anna Ermakova - and suddenly he was no longer Hero of the Center Court, but painfully targeted the public mockery.
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While the 2019 edition of the Wimbledon tournament is currently running, Becker is reminded of this turbulent past, and even more of the financial problems. At the London auction house Wyle + Hardy, 82 pieces from his personal collection will be forcibly auctioned until (tomorrow) Thursday - the proceeds will be used to serve various creditors to whom Becker owes more or less large sums. In 2017, he was declared bankrupt by a London court. Last year, bankruptcy trustee Mark Ford had made a first attempt to cash in on the devotional items in the Causa Becker - but the tennis star also delayed the process by claiming diplomatic immunity, allegedly in the service of the Central African Republic.
In the end, he failed with this defensive maneuver, now the Becker properties came under the hammer in summer 2019. Socks, shoes, trophies, a Bambi trophy. Not the really important souvenir, but rather parts of secondary importance. The fact that Becker regularly makes small or large headlines in such a case has been well observed in recent weeks. A web portal even launched a live ticker for the three-week online auction, most recently with the exciting interim message, "The worn-out Diadora shoes are now at € 860." Until shortly before the end of the auction, the total amount of the offers was around 150,000 euros, insolvency administrator Ford drummed again publicly and spoke of a possible last minute rush. There are many interested parties from the USA, Great Britain and Germany - possibly friends of Beckers who want to save pieces. Ford told "dpa" that he wanted to end the entire bankruptcy proceedings within the next six to nine months, if possible.
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Becker does not notice the humiliating situation in the green tennis realm, where he is chatting for several TV stations. He analyzes matches, game situations, character traits of the stars precisely and charmingly as ever, he is in his very own element. "I know what is being played out there," says Becker, "I have experienced it myself over and over again." Regarding the campaign that was running at the same time as the Grand Slam tournament, Becker had already said what he thought of it: "Of course you want to hurt me because I am emotionally attached to the trophies."
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