Boris Becker enjoyed a legendary career, playing his best tennis on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
The German was a prominent feature on Wimbledon’s Centre Court during the 1980s and 1990s, reaching seven finals.
Becker won three of his first four Wimbledon finals (1985, 1986, and 1989) before losing two in a row (1990, 1991).
He returned for one last final in 1995, but came up short against American star Pete Sampras in four sets.
During an interview with ‘London Real‘ in 2019, Becker admitted that it was that defeat that sent him on course for retirement.
Boris Becker knew it was time to retire when Pete Sampras beat him at Wimbledon in 1995
“When I played Wimbledon, I trained the right way, and I was healthy, I always felt that on my best day, nobody can beat me,” said Becker.
“When Pete [Sampras] came around, that changed.
“I played him in the final. I thought I was in great form, just beaten [Andre] Agassi in the semifinals.
Boris Becker’s route to the 1995 Wimbledon final
- 1995 Wimbledon 1R [WIN] vs Emilio Benfele Alvarez, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
- 1995 Wimbledon 2R [WIN] vs Jan Apell, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
- 1995 Wimbledon 3R [WIN] vs Jan Siemerink, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4
- 1995 Wimbledon 4R [WIN] vs Dick Norman, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
- 1995 Wimbledon QF [WIN] vs Cedric Pioline, 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7
- 1995 Wimbledon SF [WIN] vs Andre Agassi, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6
“I was in my late 20s, but I was still in good shape, and he just beat me in straight sets without a shadow of a doubt.
- 1995 Wimbledon final – Pete Sampras defeated Boris Becker, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
“I’d played him before, and I knew he was good, but I didn’t think he would bring it on Wimbledon Centre Court, which I would call my living room.
“I made this statement that I’ve given Pete the keys to my living room, so he owns it now.”
Becker didn’t retire for another four years, but knew his time at the top was coming to an end.
“For me, that was the reason why I wanted to retire,” he said.
Which tennis player am I thinking of?
“I played because I loved the competition, and I played to win. I felt that when I was playing Pete, on his best day, and on my best day, on Wimbledon Centre Court, he would beat me, and that’s something I didn’t like.
“I play to win, I don’t play to be a part of it, I don’t play to look good. If I feel like, in my house, where I was dominant for 10 years, the young king is coming and wants to take away the throne, then here’s the key.
“You’d better beat me! You’d better be at your best, or otherwise I’ll beat you, but he did that, and I thought, you’re a good successor, well done.”
Becker is and always has been full of praise for Sampras, a player he believes to be one of the greatest of all time.
Boris Becker said Pete Sampras was the greatest player of his generation
“The question always has to be asked, Who was the best ever in tennis?” said Becker.
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
“Naturally, [Roger] Federer comes to mind, [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, and I’ve never played these guys.
“But I’ve played [John] McEnroe, [Ivan] Lendl, [Mats] Wilander, Sampras, and Agassi, for me, in that generation, Pete Sampras was the best.
“Because on his good day, you can’t touch him.
“From the serve, the physicality, the all-court skills… Tennis always starts with the serve; the serve is the only shot that you control, not your opponent.
“He had the best serve of all time, in my opinion.
“He wouldn’t lose a serve in a match, he wouldn’t lose it in weeks.
“He would win 7-6, 6-4, and you couldn’t touch his serve.
“That’s how you start the game, people rally a lot now, but if you can’t get into a rally, how can you keep up the pressure?
“Technically speaking, it was always very difficult to play him.”
Becker played 19 matches against Sampras and lost the head-to-head, 7-12.
Retiring as a six-time Grand Slam champion, Becker finished with less than half of Sampras’ 14 Slams.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
