Boris Becker explains why he did not like Andre Agassi when he first arrived on the ATP Tour, ‘I thought he was a clown’

Follow us on Google Discover

Boris Becker did not warm to Andre Agassi when he first arrived on the ATP Tour as a teenager.

Becker and Agassi often crossed paths in the locker room, as two of the biggest tennis stars in the 1990s.

They also met many times on court, with Agassi even having a secret trick against Becker.

When reliving their rivalry, Becker has explained what he really did not like about the American.

Boris Becker reveals the reason why he did not like Andre Agassi

Becker won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 1985, and would defend his title at the grass court major a year later.

This made him one of the biggest stars on the ATP Tour, and Becker would even win his first three matches against rising American star Agassi.

However, after this third win their head-to-head completely switched, with Agassi causing stress to Becker after winning 10 of their next 11 matches.

When speaking about his career in an interview on Virgin Radio, Becker revealed that he really did not like Agassi when he first arrived on tour.

“When I first came on the scene in ’85 I was branded the new superstar and I liked it,” said Becker. “You know, we all have a little bit of vain and we like when people appreciate us.

“So, when he came on the scene in the early nineties with his long colourful hair and the earrings and you know the born and raised in Vegas, you know I thought he was a clown, but he took all the publicity, all the attention away from me.

“[To] Make matters worse, he was a really good tennis player. Then he started to beat me and he took away all that status that I had, so I was seriously you know…I was very upset. I was very upset about the arrival of Andre Agassi. I didn’t like it.”

Boris Becker explains why Pete Sampras made him retire from tennis

Not only did Becker have to face Agassi, but there was also another rising young American in Pete Sampras.

Despite having a more even head-to-head against Sampras than Agassi, Becker still lost 12 of his 19 matches against the former.

This includes the 1995 Wimbledon final, where Sampras came from a set down to beat three-time champion Becker.

Becker has now admitted that both Agassi and Sampras were better than him, and suggested that they triggered his retirement at 32 years old.

“Exactly, so you had these two Americans that were better than me, point blank,” said Becker. “And, you know, I always played tennis to win, I always played tennis to win Wimbledon and to be the number one player. I didn’t want to play just to be part of it or to be happy with the semifinal.

“But when Agassi and Sampras came along, they were clearly better than me. Hence the reason I started to retire even though I was still a pretty young tennis player. I couldn’t beat them on their best day even when I had my best day.”