Boris Becker reflects on his life choices: “Mistakes are bound to happen. I’ve paid dearly for mine”

In an interview, which will be released in full at a later date by Tennis Majors, Becker tells Fraser Masefield he has taken responsibility for his actions

“First of all, it’s a very difficult mantle to take over,” Becker told CloudFest. “Federer, Nadal and Djokovic weren’t only tennis heroes, they are sporting heroes. They are cultural icons. “You talk about the young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz as the next hot thing. He’s amazing, he plays great, he looks good and has the full package as a tennis superstar. But there’s a lot more to it than playing tennis. You have to come back, you have to defend your titles, you become a representative of your country and you’re getting into boxes you didn’t think existed before.” Can Alcaraz go on to reach those giddy heights of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic? Only time will tell. And of course, the competition is hotter than ever with the likes of Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Sinner and more waiting to pounce. “We have to be careful. Nobody is perfect and we have to watch that these tennis players are people. And people make mistakes.”

Rene Lamb

Simon Cambers

March 30, 2023

Boris Becker says he’s paid dearly for the mistakes he’s made in his life.

The German, released from prison after serving a third of his two-and-a-half-year sentence for bankruptcy-related charges in the UK, says he has taken responsibility for his actions.

In a wide-ranging interview, which will be released on Tennis Majors in the coming days, the six-time Grand Slam winner said dealing with fame, especially at a young age, was far from easy.

“Life lessons. If you know mistakes beforehand, you wouldn’t do them,” Becker told Fraser Masefield at CloudFest. “With hindsight you’re always smarter. Did I make mistakes? Plenty. Is there anyone here that has been perfect? Probably not. When you’re that famous or in the headlines, everything looks a little bigger, a little larger.”

“When you’re a young player… I made my first million when I was 17 years old in 1985. That was a lot of money. Probably even now. But in 1985, it was huge. Then you surround yourself with the agents and the lawyers and then you’re running a business called ‘Boris Becker inc.’

“But you’re 17 years old, you’re 20 years old, you’re 25 years old and that goes on. Then you finish your career and then ultimately you haven’t studied finance, business…you are a sportsman and then you have good faith with the people that are with you and of course they show you a contract and you can read but you have to trust your own judgement, your parents’ judgement and your lawyer’s judgement.”

“Mistakes are bound to happen, and I’ve paid dearly for mine. But I’m a tough cookie, I’m a survivor. I’ve done a lot of different things in my life, and I’ve got through it.

The World vs Boris Becker is available on Apple TV to stream from April 7.