Six-time Grand Slam champ says coping up with pressure is the biggest challenge now.
Tennis legend Boris Becker sure knows the true meaning of the word pressure. No wonder then the man, who took the sporting world by storm by winning Wimbledon in 1985 at the age of 17, said coping up with pressure was the biggest challenge facing a tennis player in modern times.
“There is a lot more media now than it was 10 years ago, especially social media,” Becker, who was in the city to conduct a tennis clinic along with director of the Kinesis Tennis Academy, M Krishna Kumar, at the Bangalore Club, said on Friday. “Players are put under the spotlight a bit more than we were. Some deal with it good, others don’t.”
The six-time Grand Slam champion, now 45, agreed the sport was going through a golden era. “I believe that this generation players are actually really good,” he said. “Starting with Roger Federer — who is arguably the best of all time — Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray are all strong.”
Becker, however, was quick to add that his generation players were no mean achievers.
“When I played too, we were playing good. Each to their own. I am happy I played in the 1980s and 90s. John McEnroe, Stefen Edberg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, those were good players too.”
A few weeks ago, Becker had staunchly backed Murray to win the upcoming French Open, but the Briton’s withdrawal from the Rome Masters has thrown up two new favourites for him, who himself has only managed to reach the semifinals of the claycourt Grand Slam. “I don’t think Murray will win the French open. He is hurt. Now, my favourite for the French Open would be Nadal and Djokovic,” he said.
The kids at the clinic, who were looking forward to some tips on the court from the former World No 1, were instead taught something more valuable. “I will not change your forehand or your backhand. I want to see your technique, your inspiration, whether you want to play tennis or if your mother dragged you here. So I want to see the smiles on your faces,” Becker said.
The German, who also serves on the advisory board of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, said it would be exciting to see two German teams fighting it out in the Champions League final. “My team is always Bayern Munich.”
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