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[match strikes]
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[person] Who is Boris Becker?
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Boris Becker is a child
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that he has a flame here.
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And he just tries to see if he's getting
burned or he's not getting burned.
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Or something like that.
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[chattering]
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[reporter 1, in German]
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Will Boris Becker go to jail
or will there be...
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[in English] As you can see, this case
has generated considerable interest
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across Europe.
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A picture was painted in court
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of a man with nothing to show
for his glittering sporting career,
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a man with chaotic finances
whose reputation lies in tatters.
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[Becker] The wait has been tough
from when the verdict was read out.
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I'm sentenced in two days. Very hard.
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[blows]
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I've-- I've hit my...
[stammers] ...my bottom.
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[stammers]
I don't know what to make of it.
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[sighs]
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I'm-- I'll face it, you know?
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I'm-- I'm not gonna hide or run away or--
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You know, accept whatever sentence I get.
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It's Wednesday afternoon.
On Friday, I know the rest of my life.
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[camera shutters clicking]
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{\an8}[clamoring, shouting]
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{\an8}- [reporter 2] Boris!
- [reporter 3] Boris!
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{\an8}[reporter 4] Boris, please look!
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{\an8}- [reporter 5] Boris.
- [reporter 6] Are you confident, Boris?
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Have you got a message for your fans?
Imagine you've got a lot on your mind?
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Have you got anything to say
before you go in?
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We'll see you in court.
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- [muttering]
- [phones ringing, chiming]
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[in German]
Becker registered this verdict with
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a bright red face,
but without any emotion as usual.
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He looked ahead, and I have the feeling...
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He will never be able to
earn real money and work...
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[in English] Boris Becker.
Fortune squandered on disastrous
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financial mismanagement.
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He has now been sentenced
to two and a half years in jail.
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- [press clamoring]
- [shutters clicking]
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[Becker] If there's one place in the world
that I love, I call home, it's Wimbledon.
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- [spectators cheering]
- [applause]
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[Becker] I was told my opponent,
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Kevin Curren,
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always took the first seat.
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My coach told me, "You walk out first,
strong, and you take that first seat."
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He was the clear-cut favorite.
I thought, "Hmm, he looked nervous."
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[applause]
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[Becker] I felt that if I win the toss,
I'm gonna elect to serve
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because I wanted the first punch.
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[spectators cheering]
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[Becker]
I won my service game, and I broke him.
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[spectators cheering]
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[announcer] Well, there's no nerves
there at all from Boris Becker.
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[chair umpire]
Game and first set to Becker.
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[spectators cheering]
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[shouts]
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[Becker] The momentum shifts.
Kevin starts to be in control.
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I just lose my line.
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But I returned and I break him back.
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- [spectators cheer]
- [chair umpire] Game to Becker.
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[Becker]
Emotionally, he's a little tough now.
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[announcer] So, set point.
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[grunts]
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- [announcer] Oh.
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- [spectators groan, cheer]
- [chair umpire] Game to Becker.
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- [Becker shouts]
- [chair umpire] Game to Becker.
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[Becker] In the fourth set, I break him
in the first game. I sit down,
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I'm thinking, "I only have to hold serve."
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[spectators cheering]
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[cheering continues]
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[Becker] I'm nervous.
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I'm trying to toss the ball.
The ball doesn't leave my hand. [chuckles]
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It's just-- It's just glued. It's stuck.
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Double fault. The crowd, "Ooh!"
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[chair umpire] Love-15.
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- [spectator] Go Boris.
- [shouts]
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So, match point, I go within myself. I go...
[blows] ..."Please. Just, God,
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give me one more serve." [chuckles]
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"I need one more serve."
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[people chattering]
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[interviewer] Boris Becker, let's start
with the basics. Are you bankrupt?
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[interviewer 2] How did someone
who had won all these championships,
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had such a successful life,
work himself into this situation?
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[reporter 1, in German]
Three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker
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has to answer to court in London today.
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[Becker, in English] Morning.
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This is what they're playing for.
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Turn around.
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{\an8}This is the famous poem.
It's called "If" by Rudyard Kipling.
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This is where we wait
before we go out on Centre Court.
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We look up and we get a little nervous.
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[Becker] You know, a lot of athletes, we
believe that the amount of money we earn
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during our careers will continue
to come in after.
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Yeah, I'm blaming me.
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- All right.
- Thank you.
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[Becker]
You know, the wake-up call came very late.
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I'm a big believer
that things happen for a reason.
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But what's the reason? What did I do?
What did I do to deserve this?
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And I-I-- you know,
again... [stammers] ...I'm not--
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I'm not, um,
a guy that-that cries on camera,
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and I'm not-- I'm not a complainer.
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I accept--
you know, accept whatever happens.
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Uh, but this is tough.
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This is really difficult to find out,
uh, why.
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I know one day I will find out.
Uh, at the moment, I don't know why.
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- [Becker shouting]
- [announcer] That's it! He's done it.
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{\an8}- [announcer] The Championship...
- [spectators cheering, applauding]
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{\an8}[announcer] ...to Becker!
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{\an8}["Boom Boom" playing]
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[interviewer 3]
And here he is. Congratulations, Champion.
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[Becker] Thank you very much.
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[interviewer 3]
What are you feeling right now?
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It's like a dream, you know, and, uh,
you know,
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now I think I have a lot of responsibility
for the game now
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because... [stammers] ...in my age
to win Wimbledon that is--
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I think it's something special.
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{\an8}[interviewer 3] Has a championship ever
been won on a man's knees before?
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{\an8}[Becker] I don't know.
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{\an8}["Boom Boom" continues playing]
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[camera shutters clicking]
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[interviewer] If somebody had told you
two weeks ago
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that you were gonna leave
this as Wimbledon Champion,
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what would you have said to 'em?
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He's an idiot.
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[both laughing]
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And there's been rejoicing in West Germany
over Becker's victory.
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{\an8}The president sent him
a message of congratulations
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{\an8}as soon as the game was over.
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{\an8}And at Becker's hometown near Heidelberg,
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{\an8}relatives who couldn't come to Wimbledon
watched the final on television.
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- [crowd cheering]
- [reporter] Later, the great homecoming.
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And the narrow streets of Leimen
could hardly hold its townsfolk.
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[cheering continues]
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- Would you welcome please, Boris Becker.
- [audience applauding]
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- Congratulations.
- Thank you very much.
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- [audience member] Boom Boom!
- It was, uh-- [chuckles]
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- That's not my name.
- Yeah, now right away,
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let's talk about that. I was gonna talk
about that later, but this just happened,
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- even on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
- Yeah.
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"Baby Boomer and Boom Boom Becker."
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When I was born, my mother called
me Boris and not Boom Boom, you know...
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- [Carson chuckles]
- ...and, uh, that's--
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that's what-what I don't like.
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Have you found that
the young ladies, uh... [stammers]
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...you meet more young ladies now
than maybe you did...
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- Uh.
- ...four, five months ago?
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After Wimbledon,
there were more girls than before.
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- More girls? Yeah.
- [audience laughing, applauding]
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{\an8}[cheering]
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{\an8}[interviewer] The final score
of a tennis match can tell you a lot.
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{\an8}- [grunts]
- [grunts]
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{\an8}[interviewer]
The loser is simply outclassed.
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{\an8}[spectators cheering]
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{\an8}[interviewer] The winner wasn't himself
in the first two sets,
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{\an8}but hit his stride and cruised to victory.
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{\an8}[interviewer] The story behind the numbers
is how the points are won and why.
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{\an8}Not just shots made and volleys missed,
but how players change their minds.
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{\an8}When to play it safe
and when to go for broke.
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{\an8}[interviewer]
Confidence ebbs, and then it flows. Why?
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{\an8}The fear of losing?
Or a kind of magical thinking?
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{\an8}How do great players trick themselves
into believing that they can win,
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{\an8}- no matter how bad the odds?
- [spectators cheering]
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[interviewer]
The score can't answer those questions.
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The score is just a headline.
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Is he up, or is he down?
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Is he a winner or a loser?
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For Becker, especially,
the headlines drowned out the real story.
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[interviewer] I talked to Becker
at two different periods.
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[chuckles]
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[interviewer] First in 2019
when his legal problems began...
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00:13:25,807 --> 00:13:26,892
Yeah.
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[interviewer] ...and then again in 2022,
three days before he went to prison.
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The later conversation kept circling
around the question of time.
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His countdown to an uncertain future,
and how his past haunted his present.
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So, Boris, if you could speak to your--
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your younger self, what would you say?
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Uh, and it's interesting that you-- you
a-ask me that because, uh,
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the other week my oldest son
came to me, to trial,
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and then he said, "In hindsight, uh,
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Papa, what'd you-- what'd you learn?"
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I said, "Son, take care of your own shit."
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[airplane engines humming]
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00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,190
[airplane departing]
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[interviewer, in German] What does
the manager Ion Tiriac earn
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00:14:21,863 --> 00:14:22,948
from Boris Becker?
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00:14:22,948 --> 00:14:26,243
- Not enough. No.
- Not enough? [chuckles]
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00:14:29,454 --> 00:14:31,873
{\an8}[Becker, in English]
I was managed by a guy called Ion Tiriac.
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[grunts]
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00:14:34,376 --> 00:14:37,212
I was 15 in Monte Carlo
at a junior tournament.
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[grunts]
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00:14:38,338 --> 00:14:39,798
[spectators cheering]
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00:14:41,258 --> 00:14:43,635
[Becker] And the national head coach,
his name was Günther Bosch,
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00:14:45,011 --> 00:14:47,097
{\an8}and he's from Romania, originally.
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00:14:47,097 --> 00:14:49,766
{\an8}And Bosch and Tiriac
were childhood friends.
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00:14:50,725 --> 00:14:54,688
{\an8}Günther told Ion, "We have this young
crazy German. Have a look at him."
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So I saw the guy.
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[blows]
200
00:15:00,026 --> 00:15:01,194
Interesting.
201
00:15:02,237 --> 00:15:03,405
A little bit chubby.
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00:15:03,405 --> 00:15:07,200
[Becker] Ion Tiriac always had
the big scary mustache.
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00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,997
Now he was the coach of Guillermo Vilas,
and I was nervous.
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[Tiriac] Vilas.
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00:15:15,667 --> 00:15:17,544
With the talent that he had, zero.
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00:15:18,461 --> 00:15:21,131
But the work that he got, enormous.
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Was the best player of all times,
considering what is coming, what is going.
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00:15:25,927 --> 00:15:28,430
And Boris Becker, at that time,
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was doing what he had to do.
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[Becker] I was invited for a practice
week with Guillermo Vilas in Hamburg.
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00:15:37,063 --> 00:15:39,566
Vilas was the hardest worker in tennis.
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00:15:39,566 --> 00:15:42,444
Tiriac wanted to see, um,
how much I can take.
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00:15:42,444 --> 00:15:44,613
- [chuckling]
- [interviewer] How did that go?
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00:15:44,613 --> 00:15:46,615
[inhales deeply]
I was hurting after a couple--
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00:15:46,615 --> 00:15:47,616
[both chuckling]
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[Tiriac] He has all red clay all over
in the eyes here, there, bleeding here.
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Very interesting guy.
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00:15:55,081 --> 00:15:59,127
He works like a mad dog
until almost he breaks his shoulder.
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00:16:00,629 --> 00:16:06,259
[in German] Boris is a young man who
has a great deal of determination
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00:16:06,259 --> 00:16:13,099
and I think that he was perhaps the
hardest worker in sports I'd ever seen.
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[Becker speaking German]
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[Becker, in English] I loved it.
I loved to play. I loved to practice.
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And most of all, I loved to win.
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- I won my first tournament at six.
- [interviewer] At six?
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00:16:28,698 --> 00:16:29,950
Six years old.
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00:16:29,950 --> 00:16:33,745
I remember at six, uh,
holding up the little-- little trophy.
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00:16:33,745 --> 00:16:36,748
I don't know, but, you know,
I'm sure it was very small. [chuckles]
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[announcer, in German] Rainer Martinell
against Boris Becker, for first place.
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00:16:48,176 --> 00:16:50,053
- Game, set, match--
- [Becker] Yeah!
230
00:16:50,053 --> 00:16:51,513
[applause]
231
00:16:59,563 --> 00:17:01,856
Think about it.
Borg was here seven years ago.
232
00:17:01,856 --> 00:17:04,441
I wish you'll have
the same kind of success.
233
00:17:04,441 --> 00:17:05,610
Good luck!
234
00:17:07,152 --> 00:17:08,655
[person] Boris, come on.
235
00:17:08,655 --> 00:17:10,574
[Becker, in English]
When you win something at six,
236
00:17:10,574 --> 00:17:13,493
and then something at seven and at eight,
and then you have a coach,
237
00:17:13,493 --> 00:17:15,911
then you play, um, more and more tennis.
238
00:17:15,911 --> 00:17:17,581
[applause]
239
00:17:17,581 --> 00:17:18,622
[chuckles]
240
00:17:18,622 --> 00:17:20,166
[interviewer, in German]
How old are you all?
241
00:17:20,166 --> 00:17:21,376
[all] Eleven.
242
00:17:21,376 --> 00:17:24,754
[interviewer] Who is your favorite now
in these major tournaments?
243
00:17:24,754 --> 00:17:26,506
[all] Borg!
244
00:17:26,506 --> 00:17:28,550
- [interviewer] You like Borg the best?
- [all] Yeah.
245
00:17:28,550 --> 00:17:31,720
[Becker, in English]
My hero growing up was Björn Borg.
246
00:17:39,728 --> 00:17:41,062
[spectators gasping]
247
00:17:42,814 --> 00:17:45,567
[Becker] I adored him. I loved him.
I wanted to be like him.
248
00:17:45,567 --> 00:17:48,904
- [applause]
- ["Super Trouper" playing]
249
00:17:52,824 --> 00:17:54,951
- [Borg shouts]
- [spectators cheering]
250
00:18:01,958 --> 00:18:03,752
I'll never give up.
251
00:18:04,336 --> 00:18:09,257
It doesn't matter what the score is,
the match is not over till the last point.
252
00:18:09,257 --> 00:18:11,051
[applause]
253
00:18:22,103 --> 00:18:25,941
{\an8}When you start to play tennis when you
are five years old, you want to win.
254
00:18:25,941 --> 00:18:27,692
I mean, that's what you're practicing for.
255
00:18:27,692 --> 00:18:30,862
That's what you try to do
in your whole life.
256
00:18:30,862 --> 00:18:32,864
[Becker]
Watching Björn Borg, I said, you know,
257
00:18:32,864 --> 00:18:34,950
"I need to play a little bit identical."
258
00:18:34,950 --> 00:18:38,203
The only important tennis tournament
that was televised was Wimbledon.
259
00:18:39,204 --> 00:18:41,623
When he played the famous final in 1980,
260
00:18:42,207 --> 00:18:44,834
young Boris was sitting
in West Germany with my parents
261
00:18:45,335 --> 00:18:47,212
and watched on worldwide television.
262
00:18:48,088 --> 00:18:49,464
[spectators cheering]
263
00:18:52,384 --> 00:18:53,802
{\an8}When you get to certain levels,
264
00:18:53,802 --> 00:18:57,931
{\an8}you know, you realize the game
becomes more mental. A battle of wills.
265
00:18:57,931 --> 00:18:59,849
[both grunting]
266
00:19:01,810 --> 00:19:04,145
- [spectators cheering]
- [announcer] Yes, two sets all.
267
00:19:05,188 --> 00:19:06,982
[Borg] When I lost that tiebreaker
in the fourth set,
268
00:19:06,982 --> 00:19:11,069
I thought, "Definitely, I'm gonna lose
this match" because I was so drained.
269
00:19:12,279 --> 00:19:14,030
[announcer] Absolutely unbelievable.
270
00:19:14,614 --> 00:19:16,575
And what must Borg be thinking?
271
00:19:16,575 --> 00:19:18,201
I mean, I thought I was gonna win this.
272
00:19:18,201 --> 00:19:20,829
He's-- Can't want it more than me now.
273
00:19:20,829 --> 00:19:22,289
[announcer] Championship point.
274
00:19:22,789 --> 00:19:25,417
[McEnroe]
But he seemed to find another gear.
275
00:19:27,711 --> 00:19:30,463
{\an8}- [announcer] The Champ!
- [spectators cheering]
276
00:19:42,767 --> 00:19:44,895
[Becker] I just was in awe of him winning.
277
00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,982
We would play our junior tournaments
imagining we were Björn Borg.
278
00:19:48,982 --> 00:19:50,191
[grunting]
279
00:19:56,323 --> 00:19:57,574
[spectators groan]
280
00:19:57,574 --> 00:20:00,243
[Becker] I wasn't well-behaved
on the court back then.
281
00:20:00,827 --> 00:20:03,914
I would get angry.
And then, you know, break my rackets.
282
00:20:03,914 --> 00:20:07,709
So, my penalty was always,
after my three hours of practice,
283
00:20:07,709 --> 00:20:10,670
to play another hour with Steffi Graf.
284
00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,845
{\an8}You know, the two best tennis players
Germany ever produced came literally
285
00:20:18,845 --> 00:20:20,513
{\an8}from ten miles apart.
286
00:20:22,307 --> 00:20:26,061
[Becker] By 12, I was the best under 14.
287
00:20:33,151 --> 00:20:36,154
By 14 years of age, I started playing
with the men,
288
00:20:36,655 --> 00:20:42,369
and I became the German Indoor Champion
for the men when I was 14 years old.
289
00:20:46,414 --> 00:20:50,710
In those days, you had only really
three management companies
290
00:20:50,710 --> 00:20:52,420
in tennis that mattered.
291
00:20:52,420 --> 00:20:54,798
They all came to see my father.
292
00:20:54,798 --> 00:20:58,677
Mark McCormack offered money quickly, uh,
so did Donald Dell,
293
00:20:58,677 --> 00:21:03,056
and my-- my father felt disrespected
that he would sell his son for money,
294
00:21:03,056 --> 00:21:06,268
so he politely showed them the door.
[chuckles]
295
00:21:06,268 --> 00:21:08,478
And Tiriac wasn't even talking
about money.
296
00:21:08,478 --> 00:21:13,275
He said, "You have a very talented boy.
I would like to take him over
297
00:21:13,275 --> 00:21:16,111
and I would look after him
as he were my son."
298
00:21:16,945 --> 00:21:18,572
[Tiriac] I talk to his parents.
299
00:21:18,572 --> 00:21:21,241
Very simple people, normal people.
300
00:21:22,075 --> 00:21:25,370
Sweet people. They understood everything.
I made a deal.
301
00:21:26,121 --> 00:21:29,874
They stay home,
and if he's in the finals somewhere--
302
00:21:29,874 --> 00:21:35,755
Sometimes, I invite them to the final,
and so on. I don't like parents mixing up.
303
00:21:35,755 --> 00:21:37,424
[Becker] My mother still, until today,
304
00:21:37,424 --> 00:21:40,010
says it was the biggest mistake
of her life
305
00:21:40,010 --> 00:21:43,513
to allow me to--
to take a leave of absence in school.
306
00:21:43,513 --> 00:21:47,642
But then, you know, my father decided,
"Let's-- Let's give young Boris a chance."
307
00:21:47,642 --> 00:21:50,812
And, uh, that's when I became
a professional at 16 years of age.
308
00:21:59,738 --> 00:22:01,031
My game was power.
309
00:22:02,449 --> 00:22:07,746
It was always this hard shot
and how I was physically coming forward.
310
00:22:07,746 --> 00:22:09,080
It was always pretty hard.
311
00:22:14,711 --> 00:22:16,755
Strategy, it wasn't too complicated.
312
00:22:16,755 --> 00:22:19,299
You know, instinctively,
I knew it was power.
313
00:22:19,299 --> 00:22:21,259
It was overpowering the other guy.
314
00:22:21,259 --> 00:22:24,804
Eventually, you know,
you might get tired, I won't get tired.
315
00:22:31,478 --> 00:22:36,608
In the fall of 1984,
I was ranked maybe 100 in the world.
316
00:22:37,442 --> 00:22:39,444
I would lose in the first round
the whole time,
317
00:22:39,444 --> 00:22:41,613
you know, in September and October.
318
00:22:43,365 --> 00:22:45,283
I've lost six,
seven times in the first round,
319
00:22:45,283 --> 00:22:47,535
and if you're a tennis player,
that's a long stretch.
320
00:22:47,535 --> 00:22:50,455
You are low on confidence,
you are low on self-belief.
321
00:22:52,290 --> 00:22:55,252
And I'm-- I'm breaking down, then.
And Tiriac was there.
322
00:22:57,671 --> 00:23:00,715
He started crying, you know.
323
00:23:01,675 --> 00:23:06,179
"I cannot make it.
I did this, and I do everything, but--"
324
00:23:06,179 --> 00:23:08,265
I say, "Boris, you're okay."
325
00:23:09,140 --> 00:23:11,017
Think about it. You're okay.
326
00:23:11,017 --> 00:23:14,729
I said, "Ion, I mean, I don't mind
traveling to the end of the world,
327
00:23:14,729 --> 00:23:16,356
but I gotta win sometimes."
328
00:23:16,356 --> 00:23:19,150
For me, the-- the lifeline
was always winning.
329
00:23:19,734 --> 00:23:22,821
And he said, "Boris, I can guarantee you
330
00:23:22,821 --> 00:23:26,241
that if you continue another
three months like that,
331
00:23:26,241 --> 00:23:28,868
you will be winning big things."
332
00:23:31,037 --> 00:23:32,539
- [Becker] The beginning of '85...
- [applause]
333
00:23:32,539 --> 00:23:35,500
...I was winning matches
against the best players in the world.
334
00:23:36,918 --> 00:23:38,837
And my ranking went up into 30.
335
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,298
I got to the Italian Open.
336
00:23:41,298 --> 00:23:44,259
I reached the semifinal,
and I became 20 in the world.
337
00:23:45,635 --> 00:23:48,054
If you're in the inner circle
of tennis, you would say,
338
00:23:48,054 --> 00:23:50,473
"This young German,
there's something coming up there."
339
00:23:50,473 --> 00:23:53,393
People were talking
about Boris Becker from Germany.
340
00:23:53,393 --> 00:23:55,687
"You should see this kid playing tennis."
341
00:23:55,687 --> 00:24:02,527
In... [sighs] ...February or March, I believe,
of 1985, we played an exhibition match.
342
00:24:02,527 --> 00:24:05,447
He was whining and complaining
about all the calls.
343
00:24:05,447 --> 00:24:06,865
- No!
- [chair umpire] Last warning.
344
00:24:06,865 --> 00:24:09,701
[McEnroe]
And I won rather handily that match,
345
00:24:09,701 --> 00:24:12,120
so I went into the locker room, I go,
346
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:15,498
"Hey, Boris, you know...
[stammers] ...win something, you know,
347
00:24:15,498 --> 00:24:17,459
and then you can start complaining,
you know,
348
00:24:17,459 --> 00:24:21,046
but before you win, just--
let's cut this stuff out."
349
00:24:21,671 --> 00:24:24,132
Now,
little did I realize in my wildest dreams
350
00:24:24,132 --> 00:24:26,968
that four months later
he'd win Queen's and Wimbledon.
351
00:24:26,968 --> 00:24:28,803
[applause]
352
00:24:28,803 --> 00:24:32,641
[Becker] Queen's was the premier grass
court tournament before Wimbledon.
353
00:24:32,641 --> 00:24:34,559
I played Johan Kriek in the final.
354
00:24:35,810 --> 00:24:38,772
{\an8}[Kriek] I'm in the finals,
and I'm playing a schoolboy from Germany.
355
00:24:38,772 --> 00:24:42,317
{\an8}I'm like, "Huh, what an easy title
this is gonna be." [chuckles]
356
00:24:44,444 --> 00:24:46,446
[applause]
357
00:24:46,446 --> 00:24:49,491
[Kriek] He just got confident.
He just started serving bombs.
358
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,410
{\an8}- [Becker] Yes!
- [chair umpire] Game, set and match.
359
00:24:54,204 --> 00:24:56,539
[Kriek] When he beat me in the finals,
I don't know who it was in the press,
360
00:24:56,539 --> 00:24:59,459
"Um, Mr. Kriek, what do you think
about this German schoolboy?"
361
00:24:59,459 --> 00:25:01,753
I said, "If he serves like that,
he'll win Wimbledon."
362
00:25:02,921 --> 00:25:05,090
[announcer] And there you see the parents
363
00:25:05,090 --> 00:25:07,259
of Becker going absolutely mad.
364
00:25:07,259 --> 00:25:09,761
- [spectators whistling, cheering]
- [Bosch] Congratulations!
365
00:25:12,472 --> 00:25:14,641
[interviewer] Congratulations. Hello.
366
00:25:14,641 --> 00:25:17,143
You've joined some pretty
famous names on this trophy.
367
00:25:17,143 --> 00:25:20,438
I mean, people like Laver, Hoad, Sedgman,
of course, McEnroe
368
00:25:20,438 --> 00:25:21,856
- and Connors, more recently.
- Yeah.
369
00:25:21,856 --> 00:25:25,819
That's right, uh, I mean,
it's a-- just a new name there.
370
00:25:25,819 --> 00:25:29,948
It's, uh, between Connors and McEnroe.
And it's-- it's unbelievable.
371
00:25:29,948 --> 00:25:32,450
- [interviewer] Seventeen years old.
- Yeah. That's right.
372
00:25:32,450 --> 00:25:34,869
- [interviewer] It's very early, isn't it?
- That's right, yeah.
373
00:25:36,246 --> 00:25:40,750
I felt a tsunami's happening.
I felt like this is a big wave. I'm on it.
374
00:25:41,251 --> 00:25:44,504
And I just-- I just--
I play normal, and I'm winning.
375
00:25:46,047 --> 00:25:48,717
[Becker]
In the week between Queen's and Wimbledon,
376
00:25:48,717 --> 00:25:51,386
they put you in a better practice court
so everybody could watch,
377
00:25:51,386 --> 00:25:56,016
and I felt that people started
staring at me, and I felt good about it.
378
00:25:56,516 --> 00:25:59,269
Put me on your show court,
I will show you how I can play.
379
00:26:03,315 --> 00:26:05,734
I mean, I wasn't thinking about winning.
380
00:26:05,734 --> 00:26:08,153
I was really enjoying the moment.
381
00:26:08,153 --> 00:26:11,072
I was like a little boy
in a-- in a toy shop.
382
00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,243
[applause]
383
00:26:15,243 --> 00:26:20,040
I think he just took to
the grass in a different way.
384
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,000
{\an8}No one really knows how to play on grass.
385
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,670
{\an8}Anyone that says they're
a grass court specialist have to be living
386
00:26:25,670 --> 00:26:29,507
in the '60s and come from Australia.
Those guys were grass court specialists.
387
00:26:29,507 --> 00:26:32,093
But otherwise,
there are no grass courts in the world.
388
00:26:32,093 --> 00:26:34,221
But then, of course, the diving part.
389
00:26:34,221 --> 00:26:37,140
I mean, that's--
That was the most insane thing.
390
00:26:37,140 --> 00:26:39,768
On grass? Okay, maybe.
391
00:26:39,768 --> 00:26:41,228
But he used to dive on clay.
392
00:26:45,774 --> 00:26:47,901
[Becker]
For some of the balls, I had to dive.
393
00:26:48,485 --> 00:26:51,947
I think more than anything,
that impressed the other guy about what--
394
00:26:52,530 --> 00:26:54,699
what I was willing to do
to win that point.
395
00:26:55,367 --> 00:26:57,702
To go where it hurts a little bit.
[chuckles]
396
00:26:58,828 --> 00:26:59,829
[chair umpire] Time.
397
00:27:01,790 --> 00:27:04,459
[Becker] Now, in 1985 at Wimbledon,
398
00:27:04,459 --> 00:27:08,129
the fourth round match with Tim Mayotte,
he's two sets to one up...
399
00:27:09,548 --> 00:27:11,466
[Becker, Mayotte grunting]
400
00:27:11,466 --> 00:27:13,593
- [Becker groans]
- [spectators groan]
401
00:27:13,593 --> 00:27:15,679
[Becker] I twist my ankle, badly.
402
00:27:16,263 --> 00:27:17,597
I'm done.
403
00:27:18,473 --> 00:27:20,267
- [announcer] Oh, dear.
- [chair umpire] 30-15.
404
00:27:25,021 --> 00:27:27,190
[Becker]
Now, Tim was still on the baseline.
405
00:27:27,190 --> 00:27:31,236
If he would've been at the net,
he shakes my hand, the match is over.
406
00:27:31,236 --> 00:27:32,779
Wimbledon wouldn't happen.
407
00:27:34,489 --> 00:27:36,408
[Tiriac] He was coming to default.
408
00:27:36,408 --> 00:27:39,119
And I say, "Bosch, yell at him."
409
00:27:39,703 --> 00:27:42,789
I see with my corner of my eye,
I see Bosch and Tiriac going like this.
410
00:27:42,789 --> 00:27:45,584
All of a sudden,
I wake up and I hear Tiriac,
411
00:27:46,126 --> 00:27:47,627
"Call a time-out! Call a time-out!"
412
00:27:47,627 --> 00:27:49,421
Can I have three minutes, please?
413
00:27:49,421 --> 00:27:51,089
No, it's just a twist.
414
00:27:51,089 --> 00:27:53,800
[announcer]
He's taking his, uh, time-out here,
415
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,469
his injury break, which is three minutes.
416
00:27:57,345 --> 00:28:01,391
[Becker] The physical trainer had to come
from the locker room to court number 14.
417
00:28:01,892 --> 00:28:04,644
The luck was that he was not playing
on the Centre Court.
418
00:28:04,644 --> 00:28:08,356
By the time that the doctor came,
it was about 20 minutes.
419
00:28:08,356 --> 00:28:10,650
[announcer 2] Well, John, it certainly
took longer than three minutes
420
00:28:10,650 --> 00:28:13,361
for the trainer to get here,
but it's a good thing he is.
421
00:28:14,279 --> 00:28:16,031
[Becker] My ankle's black and blue,
422
00:28:16,031 --> 00:28:18,366
but it was good enough
to continue the match.
423
00:28:18,366 --> 00:28:20,577
[spectators cheering, applauding]
424
00:28:24,915 --> 00:28:29,252
[Becker] Fifteen minutes later, it's just
different. Emotionally, he was a wreck.
425
00:28:31,963 --> 00:28:34,090
- [Becker shouts]
- [spectators cheering]
426
00:28:34,674 --> 00:28:36,426
{\an8}[Becker] Yeah, he hardly shook my hand.
427
00:28:36,426 --> 00:28:39,179
{\an8}He stormed off the court,
and I don't blame him.
428
00:28:40,805 --> 00:28:44,351
[Tiriac] After that,
I had to restructure everything
429
00:28:44,351 --> 00:28:48,271
because instead of 30,
there were 130 journalists.
430
00:28:48,271 --> 00:28:51,399
[interviewer] And then,
you know Mr. Ashe, Mr. Arthur Ashe.
431
00:28:51,399 --> 00:28:52,359
[crew person] All right.
432
00:28:52,359 --> 00:28:55,946
Boris, are you surprised to be
in the quarterfinals, 17 years old?
433
00:28:55,946 --> 00:28:57,614
Yes, for sure.
434
00:28:57,614 --> 00:28:59,032
[Ashe] And your-- your ankle?
435
00:28:59,032 --> 00:29:02,452
Yeah, my ankle, it's-- it's not bad,
but it's also not-- not good.
436
00:29:02,452 --> 00:29:05,622
[Ashe] Everybody talks
about the pressure for someone so young.
437
00:29:05,622 --> 00:29:08,458
You're not seeded, although there
are quite a few non-seeds around.
438
00:29:08,458 --> 00:29:09,376
Yeah.
439
00:29:09,376 --> 00:29:11,127
[Ashe] Can you handle the pressure?
440
00:29:11,127 --> 00:29:14,756
Uh... [blows] ...yes, I think so. I'm--
I'm trying to handle it. [chuckles]
441
00:29:17,133 --> 00:29:18,677
[interviewer 2]
Let's talk for a moment about Becker.
442
00:29:18,677 --> 00:29:21,513
Is he a flash in the pan, or is this kid
gonna be around for a while?
443
00:29:21,513 --> 00:29:23,974
[commentator] And if he were to win,
he would be the youngest champion
444
00:29:23,974 --> 00:29:27,435
not only here, but of any of the four
major championships.
445
00:29:28,270 --> 00:29:30,855
I don't think he's a flash.
I think he's the genuine item.
446
00:29:30,855 --> 00:29:35,652
How difficult is it for a young man
that age, he's 17 years old,
447
00:29:35,652 --> 00:29:37,320
to keep a grasp on reality?
448
00:29:39,364 --> 00:29:42,742
[commentator] There's no way a tennis
player can keep a grasp on reality.
449
00:29:45,829 --> 00:29:48,582
- [announcer] That's it! He's done it.
- [applause]
450
00:29:48,582 --> 00:29:50,125
[announcer 2] The Championship...
451
00:29:50,125 --> 00:29:52,502
- [applause continues]
- [announcer 2] ...to Becker!
452
00:29:57,591 --> 00:30:01,553
[Becker] After Wimbledon, Tiriac takes me
to Monaco, where I was living at the time.
453
00:30:02,095 --> 00:30:04,222
He says, "No.
You're not gonna go back to your flat.
454
00:30:04,222 --> 00:30:06,558
We're gonna check into
the old beach hotel,
455
00:30:07,601 --> 00:30:10,604
and I will tell you what just happened."
456
00:30:12,022 --> 00:30:15,650
I say, "What do you mean?"
"I will tell you what you've just done.
457
00:30:16,234 --> 00:30:20,697
I will teach you the right and wrongs
of your life now."
458
00:30:20,697 --> 00:30:23,825
The implications of becoming
459
00:30:23,825 --> 00:30:26,912
the first German,
the youngest, the unseeded.
460
00:30:28,038 --> 00:30:31,750
Expectations in the tennis world,
expectations in Germany,
461
00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:33,835
expectations of world media.
462
00:30:33,835 --> 00:30:38,465
About, um, you color combine brown shoes
with a brown belt,
463
00:30:38,465 --> 00:30:42,344
not a black belt or shirts, ties,
you know,
464
00:30:42,344 --> 00:30:46,139
the whole thing of becoming an image,
465
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,392
becoming a superstar in sports.
466
00:30:49,392 --> 00:30:53,313
He says, "Yeah, tennis is great,
but when you walk off the court,
467
00:30:53,313 --> 00:30:55,315
- you are now a wanted man."
- [fans clamoring]
468
00:30:56,691 --> 00:30:58,193
[Tiriac] I didn't do anything.
469
00:30:58,193 --> 00:30:59,277
The man had it.
470
00:30:59,861 --> 00:31:02,739
You know, the man had the charisma.
The man had everything.
471
00:31:02,739 --> 00:31:05,158
And he becomes a huge, huge megastar.
472
00:31:05,158 --> 00:31:07,452
- [fans clamoring]
- [camera shutters clicking]
473
00:31:08,620 --> 00:31:11,498
[camera person] Boris. Boris. Boris.
474
00:31:12,666 --> 00:31:14,542
[reporter, in German]
What would you say if he came by here now?
475
00:31:15,377 --> 00:31:17,087
I'd like to play a match with you.
476
00:31:17,087 --> 00:31:18,213
[chuckles]
477
00:31:18,213 --> 00:31:23,969
We are proud of Boris Becker.
He has made Leimen huge.
478
00:31:23,969 --> 00:31:25,595
Leimen is becoming famous!
479
00:31:25,595 --> 00:31:27,973
And we are happy as kings.
480
00:31:28,557 --> 00:31:30,016
[in English] Well, I like Boris Becker.
481
00:31:31,059 --> 00:31:34,104
He's a good player,
and I like his attitude, and he's young.
482
00:31:34,938 --> 00:31:36,481
- [reporter 2] He's German.
- Yep.
483
00:31:37,607 --> 00:31:41,945
[reporter 3] Move over, Michael Jackson
and Madonna. There's a new teenage idol.
484
00:31:47,075 --> 00:31:49,703
[interviewer] No one knew better how
to reap the benefits of fame
485
00:31:49,703 --> 00:31:50,870
than Ion Tiriac.
486
00:31:52,372 --> 00:31:56,543
Born in Transylvania, he escaped
a dead-end job in a ball bearing factory
487
00:31:56,543 --> 00:32:00,338
by becoming a professional athlete
in tennis and hockey.
488
00:32:01,214 --> 00:32:03,800
With the collapse of communism in Romania,
489
00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,386
Tiriac bought state enterprises
on the cheap
490
00:32:06,386 --> 00:32:07,721
and became a billionaire.
491
00:32:07,721 --> 00:32:10,807
Famous for owning 500 vintage cars.
492
00:32:11,641 --> 00:32:13,977
As a manager, he used his business savvy
493
00:32:13,977 --> 00:32:18,356
to enrich young Boris Becker,
making him millions in endorsements.
494
00:32:19,190 --> 00:32:22,068
[advertisement theme song playing]
495
00:32:24,779 --> 00:32:26,823
{\an8}[advertiser] ♪ Coca-Cola is it! ♪
496
00:32:29,159 --> 00:32:32,120
Maybe they don't know my tennis gear
is made by Puma.
497
00:32:34,748 --> 00:32:37,417
[Becker]
Ion Tiriac knew how to sell an image.
498
00:32:38,501 --> 00:32:41,671
He did the contracts.
He-- He had the bank accounts.
499
00:32:41,671 --> 00:32:45,383
He controlled,
on a very professional good way, my life
500
00:32:45,383 --> 00:32:47,052
because there was no other way.
501
00:32:48,261 --> 00:32:50,680
I teach him not to have a credit card.
502
00:32:51,765 --> 00:32:53,892
Not to have money in his pocket.
503
00:32:53,892 --> 00:32:58,730
Because people around him
are going to profit from him.
504
00:32:58,730 --> 00:33:00,315
That was when he was very little.
505
00:33:00,315 --> 00:33:02,692
Seventeen is still a young man.
506
00:33:04,444 --> 00:33:08,949
[Becker] I don't remember, in my playing
days, ever going to a cash machine.
507
00:33:08,949 --> 00:33:11,284
I don't remember, in my playing days,
ever really knowing
508
00:33:11,284 --> 00:33:13,203
how much money was actually
in the account.
509
00:33:14,287 --> 00:33:15,538
Enough? Plenty enough.
510
00:33:16,039 --> 00:33:17,958
Wh-What time is your airplane?
511
00:33:21,795 --> 00:33:24,756
[Becker] You know, we athletes,
we didn't go to university.
512
00:33:24,756 --> 00:33:27,676
We didn't study law.
We didn't study business.
513
00:33:27,676 --> 00:33:29,511
You know, our business was the sport.
514
00:33:29,511 --> 00:33:33,974
So, by the time we get out of our sports
in our 30s, right,
515
00:33:34,849 --> 00:33:36,768
we don't know the hell what's going on.
516
00:33:37,644 --> 00:33:39,479
- [press 1] Herr Becker.
- [press 2] Herr Becker.
517
00:33:39,479 --> 00:33:40,564
[press 3] Mr. Becker?
518
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,693
Mr. Becker, one-- one word in English--
519
00:33:47,862 --> 00:33:50,782
[reporter] Former
Wimbledon Tennis Champion, Boris Becker,
520
00:33:50,782 --> 00:33:54,661
is facing more than three and a half years
in jail for tax evasion.
521
00:33:55,453 --> 00:33:58,373
Accused of failing
to pay millions of pounds in tax
522
00:33:58,373 --> 00:33:59,708
during the 1990s.
523
00:34:00,500 --> 00:34:02,419
[interviewer]
To understand the Boris Becker story,
524
00:34:02,419 --> 00:34:05,505
it's sometimes easier
to move back and forth in time.
525
00:34:05,505 --> 00:34:06,590
[press clamoring]
526
00:34:06,590 --> 00:34:09,384
[interviewer] Long before he was convicted
of crimes in London,
527
00:34:09,384 --> 00:34:12,095
he had a run-in with the law in Germany.
528
00:34:13,054 --> 00:34:16,182
[Becker] Because of the reportedly amounts
of money I earned,
529
00:34:16,182 --> 00:34:21,229
the Germans started to be a little
bit-- What's the word? Um, envious.
530
00:34:21,229 --> 00:34:24,356
"This young guy just can do what he
wants and makes a lot of money,
531
00:34:24,356 --> 00:34:28,153
and I'm sure there's something fishy
going on, right?"
532
00:34:28,153 --> 00:34:31,489
It's really disappointing
to small people like me
533
00:34:31,990 --> 00:34:35,367
when big fishes like Boris Becker
get away without anything.
534
00:34:35,367 --> 00:34:39,539
Well, he's in the show business also
and in the-- the sports business,
535
00:34:39,539 --> 00:34:41,833
so he should be punished.
536
00:34:42,751 --> 00:34:46,546
[Becker]
They started prosecution for tax evasion.
537
00:34:47,130 --> 00:34:50,800
If the opponent is the government,
they're very powerful.
538
00:34:51,927 --> 00:34:55,889
[interviewer] The government was fixated
on a time early in Boris's career
539
00:34:55,889 --> 00:34:59,809
when his manager, Ion Tiriac,
had advised Becker to live in Monaco,
540
00:34:59,809 --> 00:35:03,772
a famous tax haven where Boris could
keep his earnings away
541
00:35:03,772 --> 00:35:04,940
from the German government.
542
00:35:06,274 --> 00:35:09,736
By the time prosecutors started exploring
his finances,
543
00:35:09,736 --> 00:35:14,908
Becker had split from Tiriac, moved back
home and married a young German woman.
544
00:35:15,492 --> 00:35:19,371
They were on vacation in Miami
when the tax police came knocking.
545
00:35:19,913 --> 00:35:24,417
I got an early morning call from my lawyer
saying the police... [stammers]
546
00:35:24,417 --> 00:35:28,380
...with the tax authorities, uh, you know,
they want to break into your house.
547
00:35:28,380 --> 00:35:32,217
Uh, you know, and most importantly
they want to break into your safe.
548
00:35:32,217 --> 00:35:34,719
It was 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning
when I got the call,
549
00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,305
and I got the code wrong the first time.
550
00:35:37,305 --> 00:35:40,642
You don't expect the government
to break into your house in Munich.
551
00:35:41,393 --> 00:35:44,145
{\an8}Everything became unsure after that,
you know.
552
00:35:44,145 --> 00:35:47,440
{\an8}I feel... [inhales deeply]
...how's that possible?
553
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,193
{\an8}People just walking in doing this,
you know?
554
00:35:52,153 --> 00:35:54,155
Treating him like a criminal, you know?
555
00:35:54,155 --> 00:35:57,993
Like, it felt very painful for him,
especially because we weren't there.
556
00:35:57,993 --> 00:35:59,494
There's nothing we could do.
557
00:36:00,036 --> 00:36:03,540
And, um, it came out of the blue.
558
00:36:03,540 --> 00:36:07,711
And we felt like it was, like,
a complete intrusion, invasion.
559
00:36:08,587 --> 00:36:13,091
[Becker] I said, "There's jewelry
and there's, uh, many documents, uh,
560
00:36:13,091 --> 00:36:17,220
but there are nude pictures
from my pregnant wife, yeah,
561
00:36:17,220 --> 00:36:19,347
just-- just be aware of the pictures."
562
00:36:19,848 --> 00:36:23,226
They took everything, and the pictures
haven't been returned since.
563
00:36:23,226 --> 00:36:26,187
I mean, I-- I remember him being
on the phone a lot,
564
00:36:26,187 --> 00:36:28,940
and, um, not understanding.
565
00:36:28,940 --> 00:36:32,360
Completely confused and, yeah,
taken by surprise.
566
00:36:34,905 --> 00:36:36,281
And sad. Hmm.
567
00:36:38,283 --> 00:36:42,329
Their claim was I had
a theoretical residence in Munich
568
00:36:42,329 --> 00:36:44,539
while I was officially residing in Monaco.
569
00:36:45,123 --> 00:36:47,167
[reporter, in German]
In the period of two years,
570
00:36:47,167 --> 00:36:49,836
Becker spent 72 days in Monaco,
571
00:36:49,836 --> 00:36:55,300
but spent 139 days in
the top floor apartment in Munich.
572
00:36:56,676 --> 00:36:58,678
[Becker, in English]
My sister, Sabine, had a flat,
573
00:36:58,678 --> 00:37:00,347
and she had a guest room,
574
00:37:00,347 --> 00:37:03,141
and-- and when I was
in Munich to see my-- my friends,
575
00:37:03,141 --> 00:37:06,436
instead of a hotel,
I went to the guest room of my sister.
576
00:37:06,436 --> 00:37:07,687
That was my crime.
577
00:37:07,687 --> 00:37:10,899
[in German] ...that he maintained
a residence in Germany,
578
00:37:10,899 --> 00:37:15,528
and for this reason,
579
00:37:15,528 --> 00:37:18,657
precisely in order
to reduce taxes unlawfully,
580
00:37:18,657 --> 00:37:22,327
he concealed this fact in his tax returns.
581
00:37:22,327 --> 00:37:27,165
As I said, the defendant himself
admitted that he had acted intentionally.
582
00:37:29,167 --> 00:37:32,963
[Becker, in English] We went on trial,
and the prosecutor, uh, asked the judge
583
00:37:32,963 --> 00:37:35,549
for three years and nine months
behind bars.
584
00:37:36,299 --> 00:37:37,676
And you're fuming, uh,
585
00:37:37,676 --> 00:37:41,263
you wanna get up and wanna at least
speak to the guy whether, you know,
586
00:37:41,263 --> 00:37:44,057
he's-- he's got all his marbles right
and so forth,
587
00:37:44,057 --> 00:37:45,267
but it was enough to shut up.
588
00:37:45,267 --> 00:37:46,226
[press chattering]
589
00:37:46,226 --> 00:37:47,894
[Becker] I got two years of probation.
590
00:37:48,395 --> 00:37:51,231
I paid a fine of 250,000 marks,
591
00:37:51,231 --> 00:37:53,525
and the case was closed.
592
00:37:54,317 --> 00:37:57,320
[reporter 2, in German]
Boris Becker issued a prepared statement
593
00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,489
saying among other things,
594
00:37:59,489 --> 00:38:02,909
"This was my most important victory,
and I am free."
595
00:38:04,119 --> 00:38:07,622
[Becker, in English]
Now, imagine the German headlines.
596
00:38:12,377 --> 00:38:17,591
Whenever there is a bit of a wind
in my life, it becomes a tornado.
597
00:38:18,174 --> 00:38:22,971
The current chief editor of the most-read
daily newspaper in Germany
598
00:38:23,972 --> 00:38:25,515
gave me a wonderful explanation.
599
00:38:25,515 --> 00:38:30,604
There were three topics
that always work to sell his papers.
600
00:38:30,604 --> 00:38:31,730
One is Adolf Hitler,
601
00:38:33,064 --> 00:38:34,941
one is the unification of Germany,
602
00:38:35,692 --> 00:38:36,902
and one is Boris Becker.
603
00:38:39,946 --> 00:38:42,115
{\an8}[Becker]
And that's been the misunderstandings
604
00:38:42,115 --> 00:38:44,492
{\an8}I've had since 35 years.
605
00:38:53,376 --> 00:38:57,130
[Tiriac] I told him,
"If you become a champion on court,
606
00:38:57,130 --> 00:38:58,757
you have to be one off the court.
607
00:38:59,341 --> 00:39:02,010
Don't make me beat the hell out of you.
608
00:39:02,010 --> 00:39:04,721
Because in front of everybody,
I will do it.
609
00:39:05,263 --> 00:39:07,974
Doesn't matter how much money
you are going to make
610
00:39:07,974 --> 00:39:10,852
because most of the money
I'm going to make
611
00:39:10,852 --> 00:39:12,854
for you, and that's happening."
612
00:39:13,730 --> 00:39:16,524
Big megastar makes 10%, 15%,
613
00:39:16,524 --> 00:39:18,318
20% on the court
614
00:39:18,985 --> 00:39:21,196
{\an8}and the rest, off the court.
615
00:39:23,698 --> 00:39:26,034
[Becker]
Tiriac had a whole new marketing campaign
616
00:39:26,034 --> 00:39:27,661
about his new superstar in sports,
617
00:39:27,661 --> 00:39:29,454
and I had great endorsements
618
00:39:29,454 --> 00:39:31,998
with the major companies
and corporations in the world,
619
00:39:31,998 --> 00:39:35,043
and part of that plan
was young Boris Becker winning.
620
00:39:35,710 --> 00:39:38,755
If he'd be-- wouldn't-- winning anymore
the whole story doesn't fit, right?
621
00:39:44,886 --> 00:39:46,972
- [spectators groan]
- [announcer chuckles]
622
00:39:46,972 --> 00:39:48,932
[announcer, speaking French]
623
00:39:52,060 --> 00:39:54,354
[Tiriac, in English]
How I say, "It goes with the package."
624
00:39:54,354 --> 00:39:56,398
The man can do it, or he don't.
625
00:39:56,898 --> 00:39:59,693
If you had want to have
a good number one out of Boris,
626
00:39:59,693 --> 00:40:02,612
you have to build him up
as a solid tennis player.
627
00:40:04,030 --> 00:40:08,285
[Becker] I couldn't freaking get over
a quarterfinal list in,
628
00:40:08,285 --> 00:40:10,495
I think, five consecutive tournaments.
629
00:40:10,495 --> 00:40:13,081
It was quarterfinal here,
quarterfinal there, quarterfinal--
630
00:40:13,081 --> 00:40:15,333
Quarterfinal was good,
but it wasn't really good enough.
631
00:40:15,834 --> 00:40:18,336
And then we had a big crisis
before Wimbledon.
632
00:40:19,462 --> 00:40:21,298
Pressure coming.
633
00:40:21,298 --> 00:40:24,926
"Can Boris defend the title,
or was he flash in the pan?"
634
00:40:32,225 --> 00:40:33,894
[chair umpire]
Game, set and match, Becker.
635
00:40:34,519 --> 00:40:38,273
[Becker] Win the quarterfinal in--
in straight sets. I win the semifinal.
636
00:40:38,273 --> 00:40:41,401
I started thinking, "Hmm, this is good.
637
00:40:41,401 --> 00:40:43,570
This is-- I'm starting to feel the power."
638
00:40:44,070 --> 00:40:47,282
And everybody then went,
"Hmm, this is it-- this is--
639
00:40:47,282 --> 00:40:48,950
He's-- He's feeling it again."
640
00:40:49,784 --> 00:40:52,078
So, in the final I'm playing Ivan Lendl.
641
00:40:52,787 --> 00:40:54,247
Lendl, number 1 in the world.
642
00:41:15,852 --> 00:41:17,520
[announcer] Yes. My goodness.
643
00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,731
[applause]
644
00:41:24,569 --> 00:41:26,655
[Becker] He had one of
the best forehands of all time
645
00:41:26,655 --> 00:41:28,949
and one of the biggest serves of all time.
646
00:41:28,949 --> 00:41:34,287
He played with very little emotion, uh,
very, um, computerlike.
647
00:41:36,915 --> 00:41:41,503
He wasn't, uh, charming with the crowd.
648
00:41:41,503 --> 00:41:43,338
He wasn't, uh-- He wasn't a showman.
649
00:41:43,838 --> 00:41:47,092
I call him the first professional
in tennis.
650
00:41:56,226 --> 00:41:58,645
- [spectators cheering]
- [chair umpire] Game, Lendl.
651
00:42:01,398 --> 00:42:02,816
[Becker] Before Wimbledon,
652
00:42:03,942 --> 00:42:08,029
I had a long talk with Tiriac and Bosch.
653
00:42:12,534 --> 00:42:15,328
I've done now everything
you wanted me to do...
654
00:42:17,872 --> 00:42:22,085
so I'm asking you for once, "Can I play
the match the way I want to play?"
655
00:42:23,336 --> 00:42:25,881
I became a champion because of my power.
656
00:42:44,065 --> 00:42:45,817
[applause]
657
00:42:47,861 --> 00:42:49,279
[chair umpire] 15-love.
658
00:42:53,825 --> 00:42:56,202
- [spectators cheering]
- [chair umpire] Game, Becker.
659
00:43:07,297 --> 00:43:09,591
[announcer] Well, I don't really think
I've ever seen a player
660
00:43:09,591 --> 00:43:11,218
more determined than Becker is.
661
00:43:19,017 --> 00:43:21,978
[spectators gasping, cheering]
662
00:43:28,109 --> 00:43:29,444
[tennis official] Quiet, please.
663
00:43:35,825 --> 00:43:36,993
- Yeah!
- [chair umpire] Game, set
664
00:43:36,993 --> 00:43:38,161
and match to Becker.
665
00:43:42,624 --> 00:43:46,211
{\an8}That to me, was absolutely incredible
that you can have that pressure,
666
00:43:46,211 --> 00:43:47,629
and he wins it again.
667
00:43:48,922 --> 00:43:53,593
Winning Wimbledon twice before your
19th birthday, I mean, that's just insane.
668
00:43:55,345 --> 00:43:57,597
[Becker]
Probably my most important tournament win
669
00:43:57,597 --> 00:43:59,766
was defending my Wimbledon title.
670
00:43:59,766 --> 00:44:02,269
Can call it "becoming a man," maybe.
671
00:44:02,269 --> 00:44:05,480
Becoming mature enough to understand
that I can trust my instincts.
672
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:07,774
I can trust my-- my own strength.
673
00:44:09,276 --> 00:44:11,444
And I talked to my father then afterwards.
674
00:44:11,444 --> 00:44:18,493
I said, "Dad, don't you organize
another car ride in the middle of Leimen."
675
00:44:18,994 --> 00:44:19,828
But he did.
676
00:44:19,828 --> 00:44:23,164
And then we had a big fight over it.
I said, "I'm not gonna do it."
677
00:44:23,832 --> 00:44:25,292
[stammers] Then, he said, "Son,
678
00:44:25,292 --> 00:44:29,129
then I can't go back to my hometown.
You embarrass me if you don't show up."
679
00:44:29,129 --> 00:44:32,215
I said,
"Dad, for the last time, it's my life.
680
00:44:32,215 --> 00:44:34,259
It's my win. It's my decision.
681
00:44:34,843 --> 00:44:36,970
I do it because I--
I love and respect you,
682
00:44:36,970 --> 00:44:39,848
but it's the last time
you make a decision for me."
683
00:44:48,273 --> 00:44:52,944
When you are so young, and you thrown into
the big ocean with all the sharks around,
684
00:44:52,944 --> 00:44:55,030
it's very difficult to learn to swim.
685
00:44:56,072 --> 00:44:57,866
But once you learn to swim,
686
00:44:57,866 --> 00:45:02,329
it's the feeling of invincibility
that means you're winning.
687
00:45:07,042 --> 00:45:10,879
In the fall, I did something that nobody
has done, uh, before and after.
688
00:45:18,970 --> 00:45:24,142
I won three Master Series in consecutive
weeks in three different continents.
689
00:45:24,851 --> 00:45:27,604
Don't ask me how I slept,
though. [chuckling]
690
00:45:28,688 --> 00:45:29,564
'Cause I didn't.
691
00:45:31,441 --> 00:45:34,736
Back to back to back,
I won almost every tournament.
692
00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:37,489
I was in the zone.
I-- Just couldn't touch me.
693
00:45:40,575 --> 00:45:42,452
- [Becker yelps]
- [applause]
694
00:45:43,578 --> 00:45:47,707
[in German] For many Germans, does an
underage professional tennis player
695
00:45:47,707 --> 00:45:50,210
embody what may have been
lost in reality?
696
00:45:50,210 --> 00:45:53,338
A fighting spirit, will to perform,
unlimited self-confidence?
697
00:45:54,506 --> 00:45:58,802
{\an8}In a way, yes. We are a battered people,
698
00:45:58,802 --> 00:46:02,430
and we are happy, rightly so,
699
00:46:02,430 --> 00:46:08,103
about anyone who succeeds
in achieving international success.
700
00:46:08,103 --> 00:46:10,355
[in English] He was the first German
701
00:46:10,855 --> 00:46:12,065
that after the war--
702
00:46:12,065 --> 00:46:14,568
He was the young Siegfried.
703
00:46:21,491 --> 00:46:23,034
[grunts]
704
00:46:25,287 --> 00:46:28,164
[Tiriac] He was a young man
that could handle himself.
705
00:46:28,164 --> 00:46:32,085
And the man had the presence
that a megastar needs.
706
00:46:32,085 --> 00:46:35,463
And the people took him like this.
707
00:46:46,975 --> 00:46:49,811
[reporter, in French] Boris Becker
saw one of his dearest wishes fulfilled.
708
00:46:49,811 --> 00:46:51,605
He met the Pope at the Vatican.
709
00:46:52,230 --> 00:46:53,773
The two-time Wimbledon champion
710
00:46:53,773 --> 00:46:57,235
even brought a tennis racket
for John Paul II.
711
00:46:57,235 --> 00:46:59,321
The Pope plays tennis.
He is a great sportsman.
712
00:46:59,321 --> 00:47:01,781
He also practices swimming.
713
00:47:01,781 --> 00:47:05,035
And it was John Paul II
who had already invited Boris Becker
714
00:47:05,035 --> 00:47:07,120
a few months ago to come and visit him.
715
00:47:07,120 --> 00:47:12,292
Recall that he has won three tournaments
on three continents,
716
00:47:12,292 --> 00:47:15,212
on three different surfaces, alone!
717
00:47:15,212 --> 00:47:16,880
Thanks for being with us, Boris Becker.
718
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:18,965
Your opinion on a few players?
719
00:47:18,965 --> 00:47:20,592
McEnroe is going to come back?
720
00:47:21,426 --> 00:47:23,887
[translator, in French]
In the three tournaments that just ended,
721
00:47:23,887 --> 00:47:24,804
he was there.
722
00:47:24,804 --> 00:47:28,016
Well, of course, it's going to be
a long road for him,
723
00:47:28,016 --> 00:47:30,310
but I think he has
the possibility of actually returning.
724
00:47:30,310 --> 00:47:32,812
[interviewer, in English] Did you play
McEnroe after his comeback?
725
00:47:32,812 --> 00:47:38,068
Yeah, I played John McEnroe in, uh,
Stratton Mountain in Vermont.
726
00:47:38,068 --> 00:47:39,319
[applause]
727
00:47:42,697 --> 00:47:43,782
[line umpire] Fault!
728
00:47:49,162 --> 00:47:51,998
[announcer] McEnroe cracking
the backhand into the net.
729
00:47:51,998 --> 00:47:53,208
What was wrong?
730
00:47:58,296 --> 00:48:00,423
[McEnroe]
Early in the year, I took time off.
731
00:48:00,423 --> 00:48:03,385
I was very wound up
when I went to Stratton Mountain
732
00:48:03,385 --> 00:48:06,846
because I felt like I needed
to go out and prove something.
733
00:48:06,846 --> 00:48:09,432
And he was just coming back
after a sabbatical,
734
00:48:09,432 --> 00:48:12,310
and he's gonna teach
this young German a lesson.
735
00:48:12,310 --> 00:48:14,354
So I was ready to, you know,
736
00:48:14,354 --> 00:48:18,900
really let it out, like, in a way, um--
Not that I had trouble doing that,
737
00:48:18,900 --> 00:48:21,945
- but, uh, more so than normal.
- [interviewer chuckles]
738
00:48:25,156 --> 00:48:26,157
[grunts]
739
00:48:28,952 --> 00:48:30,704
- [line umpire] Out!
- [applause]
740
00:48:30,704 --> 00:48:32,414
[Becker] John holds serve, 1-love.
741
00:48:32,414 --> 00:48:33,498
[announcer] Mac is back.
742
00:48:35,375 --> 00:48:38,545
Those days we didn't have microphones
on the court yet,
743
00:48:38,545 --> 00:48:42,591
so you couldn't really listen
to what players had to say. [chuckles]
744
00:48:42,591 --> 00:48:44,718
So, you know,
I was gonna go intimidate him,
745
00:48:44,718 --> 00:48:46,011
um, and, you know, sort of--
746
00:48:47,053 --> 00:48:49,681
Tennis's version of trash talking
a little bit.
747
00:48:49,681 --> 00:48:51,516
[announcer 2]
At the first changeover, Cliff,
748
00:48:51,516 --> 00:48:55,437
uh, McEnroe had a word
with Becker about, uh, respect.
749
00:48:55,437 --> 00:48:57,856
And we don't quite know what it was.
We didn't hear all of it.
750
00:48:57,856 --> 00:49:02,652
He says, "Boris, I'm gonna beat
the shit out of you, you motherfucker."
751
00:49:04,529 --> 00:49:06,323
Imagine somebody doing that now.
752
00:49:06,823 --> 00:49:08,158
He'd be fined on the spot.
753
00:49:08,158 --> 00:49:11,453
I was shocked. I was intimidated.
What do I do?
754
00:49:11,453 --> 00:49:15,206
I learned a new set of English
in those two and a half hours.
755
00:49:15,206 --> 00:49:18,168
Words I've never heard before,
and I seldom use.
756
00:49:18,168 --> 00:49:21,004
[interviewer] He said on the first
changeover, you gave it to him.
757
00:49:21,004 --> 00:49:23,423
I gave it to him,
but apparently it didn't work too well.
758
00:49:23,423 --> 00:49:25,050
[both chuckling]
759
00:49:29,387 --> 00:49:31,389
[Becker]
He ends up winning the first set, 6-3.
760
00:49:31,389 --> 00:49:32,432
[umpire chatter]
761
00:49:32,432 --> 00:49:33,934
[Becker] It became a battle.
762
00:49:33,934 --> 00:49:36,519
[announcer] Yes, I think we
did miss John McEnroe a little bit.
763
00:49:36,519 --> 00:49:40,148
[Becker] I've never-- never seen a guy
with more feel for the ball,
764
00:49:40,148 --> 00:49:44,945
so he could find angles,
and he could find ball placement
765
00:49:44,945 --> 00:49:47,739
that you can't practice,
or you can't teach anybody.
766
00:49:49,032 --> 00:49:50,742
He had a very awkward technique
767
00:49:50,742 --> 00:49:53,995
that made him so awkward to play against,
because nobody played like that.
768
00:49:55,580 --> 00:49:58,375
He was just full out, and I-I responded.
769
00:49:58,917 --> 00:50:00,502
I don't walk away from a fight.
770
00:50:01,044 --> 00:50:02,295
[McEnroe] I loved the way he played.
771
00:50:02,295 --> 00:50:05,924
He was diving all around the court,
and just-- He was fun to watch.
772
00:50:05,924 --> 00:50:11,221
He was like a-- The exuberance of a kid,
but he had a grown man's body.
773
00:50:11,888 --> 00:50:13,181
[spectators cheering]
774
00:50:13,181 --> 00:50:14,391
[McEnroe] And then I'm thinking,
775
00:50:14,391 --> 00:50:18,103
"This guy has got the biggest serve
in the history of tennis."
776
00:50:19,396 --> 00:50:21,106
[Becker] I won the second set,
777
00:50:21,106 --> 00:50:25,443
{\an8}and then we end up third set tiebreaker,
he has four match points.
778
00:50:26,236 --> 00:50:27,696
{\an8}[commentator] 8-7 McEnroe.
779
00:50:50,218 --> 00:50:51,219
[McEnroe grunts]
780
00:50:51,219 --> 00:50:52,804
[spectators gasp]
781
00:50:53,555 --> 00:50:55,932
- [McEnroe grunts]
- [spectators cheering, applauding]
782
00:51:00,979 --> 00:51:03,106
[interviewer] What else do you remember
about that match?
783
00:51:03,106 --> 00:51:05,400
Uh, I remember getting cheated
on match point.
784
00:51:10,363 --> 00:51:11,364
[grunts]
785
00:51:13,408 --> 00:51:15,076
- [chair umpire] Out!
- [McEnroe] Oh, no!
786
00:51:15,076 --> 00:51:17,162
[spectators cheering]
787
00:51:19,164 --> 00:51:21,875
[McEnroe] I had a few match points,
the first of which,
788
00:51:21,875 --> 00:51:23,919
right as I'm about to hit it-- "Out!"
789
00:51:24,836 --> 00:51:25,837
What?
790
00:51:27,047 --> 00:51:29,257
I guess my karma caught up with me
on that one.
791
00:51:29,257 --> 00:51:31,384
Not too many had cost me,
but that one, it did.
792
00:51:31,384 --> 00:51:33,511
And then it sent me in a total tailspin.
793
00:51:33,511 --> 00:51:34,930
[commentator] Difficult situation.
794
00:51:34,930 --> 00:51:36,765
- [McEnroe] How do you know?
- [spectators jeering]
795
00:51:41,478 --> 00:51:44,856
{\an8}[commentator] A young and rising genius
named Boris Becker, winning.
796
00:51:46,650 --> 00:51:49,027
[Becker] You know, John, I think felt,
797
00:51:49,027 --> 00:51:52,489
"This son of a bitch on the other side
is as strong-willed as I am.
798
00:51:52,489 --> 00:51:55,033
He doesn't--
doesn't take no for an answer."
799
00:51:55,033 --> 00:51:58,578
And he-- he pretty much,
from that moment on, respected me.
800
00:52:00,288 --> 00:52:02,165
Sprechen Sie English?
801
00:52:04,876 --> 00:52:08,588
The game was changing.
It was becoming more of a power game.
802
00:52:08,588 --> 00:52:12,217
He just basically, like,
served me off the court in a way.
803
00:52:14,719 --> 00:52:16,596
{\an8}[spectators cheering, applauding]
804
00:52:17,430 --> 00:52:21,601
{\an8}[McEnroe] We played five hours
and we were only done with three sets.
805
00:52:21,601 --> 00:52:23,395
And Boris seemed like he was fine.
806
00:52:25,939 --> 00:52:28,525
- [commentator] This day is over.
- [spectators cheering]
807
00:52:36,449 --> 00:52:37,534
[McEnroe] My record against him
808
00:52:37,534 --> 00:52:40,370
was about as poor as any top player
I've ever played.
809
00:52:40,370 --> 00:52:44,374
And I wish that I had played him
when I was at my best.
810
00:52:44,374 --> 00:52:46,251
I'm sure he would've won some anyway,
811
00:52:46,251 --> 00:52:48,628
but I would've liked to think
I would've done better.
812
00:52:50,380 --> 00:52:53,884
{\an8}I had a great and unique ability
of getting under the players' skin,
813
00:52:53,884 --> 00:52:56,344
{\an8}and then the players would
try harder than they ever tried.
814
00:52:56,344 --> 00:52:59,639
You know, I'm like, "Why didn't you just
shut up and let 'em self-destruct?"
815
00:53:00,140 --> 00:53:01,516
I couldn't help myself.
816
00:53:01,516 --> 00:53:04,269
I decided once
when I played Boris in Paris, you know,
817
00:53:04,269 --> 00:53:07,188
'cause he had this fake cough
that he always did, um,
818
00:53:07,188 --> 00:53:09,107
and he pretended like it wasn't fake.
819
00:53:09,107 --> 00:53:11,526
And, like, he'd go... [coughing]
820
00:53:11,526 --> 00:53:13,570
You know, but it'd be, like,
break point down.
821
00:53:13,570 --> 00:53:16,615
You're like, "Come on, Boris.
You're better than that."
822
00:53:17,449 --> 00:53:19,826
[interviewer] He felt that
you were coughing a lot for effect,
823
00:53:19,826 --> 00:53:21,745
- and not so much for--
- [coughing]
824
00:53:22,621 --> 00:53:24,581
- Yeah.
- [interviewer chuckles]
825
00:53:24,581 --> 00:53:25,665
[coughs]
826
00:53:26,625 --> 00:53:28,293
[coughing]
827
00:53:28,293 --> 00:53:31,213
[spectators laughing, applauding]
828
00:53:32,214 --> 00:53:36,176
I'd had enough of it, so I decided
every time he did it, I was gonna do it.
829
00:53:36,176 --> 00:53:41,181
So when he's mimicking my coughing,
uh, I-I probably coughed even more.
830
00:53:41,181 --> 00:53:43,808
Hence we had a proper match, right?
[chuckles]
831
00:53:45,852 --> 00:53:48,355
- [Becker coughing]
- [McEnroe coughs]
832
00:53:48,355 --> 00:53:50,690
[spectators laughing]
833
00:53:50,690 --> 00:53:52,317
[coughs]
834
00:53:52,317 --> 00:53:54,819
- [spectators laughing]
- [commentator chuckles]
835
00:53:54,819 --> 00:53:56,655
[announcer, in French]
A little bit of quiet please, thank you.
836
00:53:56,655 --> 00:53:58,615
[commentator 2, in French]
Sometimes to put pressure on, he coughs.
837
00:53:58,615 --> 00:54:00,492
- [coughs]
- [commentator 2 chuckles]
838
00:54:03,828 --> 00:54:05,247
- [line umpire] Out!
- [McEnroe coughs]
839
00:54:05,247 --> 00:54:06,581
[announcer, in French] 0-15.
840
00:54:06,581 --> 00:54:07,916
[spectators laughing, applauding]
841
00:54:09,209 --> 00:54:11,127
[McEnroe, in English]
After about literally ten times,
842
00:54:11,127 --> 00:54:12,546
people are like, "Ooh." You know?
843
00:54:12,546 --> 00:54:14,130
They don't know
what to make of this, right?
844
00:54:14,130 --> 00:54:19,594
And I'm enjoying it because I'm calling
him out for this BS he's doing.
845
00:54:19,594 --> 00:54:22,556
[Becker coughing]
846
00:54:22,556 --> 00:54:24,474
[commentator, in French]
There it is, "The Cough."
847
00:54:24,474 --> 00:54:27,352
[McEnroe, in English] So finally Boris,
he goes, "John, I mean, come on.
848
00:54:27,352 --> 00:54:28,603
Take it easy on me.
849
00:54:29,354 --> 00:54:30,772
I've got a cold."
850
00:54:30,772 --> 00:54:32,816
And I go, "You've had it for five years."
851
00:54:33,608 --> 00:54:36,152
I can't believe
that it still isn't better.
852
00:54:37,112 --> 00:54:38,572
Only 4 years.
853
00:54:38,572 --> 00:54:42,242
[commentator, in French] It's difficult to
think that he's not doing this on purpose.
854
00:54:42,242 --> 00:54:46,871
[in English] The crowd turned on me
like I was, like, Attila the Hun.
855
00:54:46,871 --> 00:54:50,041
I'm like, "Why are they turning on me?
He's the guy that's doing this shit."
856
00:54:50,041 --> 00:54:52,460
And you still think after what's happened
that that's right?
857
00:54:53,461 --> 00:54:57,465
[Becker] Tennis is played on a big stage
and spectators are very, very important.
858
00:54:57,465 --> 00:55:00,427
They give us the energy
or they take away the energy,
859
00:55:00,427 --> 00:55:03,305
you play for the crowd
or you play against the crowd.
860
00:55:03,305 --> 00:55:05,599
[spectators screaming, cheering]
861
00:55:06,099 --> 00:55:07,517
[commentator, in French]
He raises his fist.
862
00:55:07,517 --> 00:55:09,269
{\an8}He raises his arm in victory,
Boris Becker!
863
00:55:09,269 --> 00:55:10,478
{\an8}He raises his finger!
864
00:55:10,478 --> 00:55:12,397
He has won, he was the better one...
865
00:55:12,397 --> 00:55:15,817
{\an8}[in English] At the end, I'm like,
"Hey, Boris, man, I just--
866
00:55:15,817 --> 00:55:16,902
Sorry about whatever."
867
00:55:17,485 --> 00:55:19,237
{\an8}Thankfully, to his credit,
868
00:55:19,237 --> 00:55:21,948
{\an8}"Oh, it's the heat of the moment,
you know, we're friends."
869
00:55:22,449 --> 00:55:23,867
{\an8}It's like, "Thank you, man."
870
00:55:24,910 --> 00:55:27,162
I think I won that match, by the way.
871
00:55:27,162 --> 00:55:29,331
So there goes the story.
872
00:55:29,331 --> 00:55:31,625
[in French] So Lendl number 1,
873
00:55:31,625 --> 00:55:33,543
Becker number 2.
874
00:55:34,211 --> 00:55:36,963
Will it be "Becker number 1" next year?
875
00:55:39,466 --> 00:55:40,884
Ooh la la, huh?
876
00:55:40,884 --> 00:55:42,636
[interviewer] Difficult. Ooh la la.
877
00:55:48,725 --> 00:55:49,601
{\an8}[chair umpire, in English]
Game, Becker.
878
00:55:49,601 --> 00:55:51,645
{\an8}[commentator]
No trouble there for Boris Becker.
879
00:55:51,645 --> 00:55:54,189
Günther Bosch in the tracksuit.
880
00:55:54,981 --> 00:55:59,152
[chair umpire] Code violation.
Coaching, Mr. Becker. Warning.
881
00:55:59,152 --> 00:56:00,487
[commentator 2] Very interesting.
882
00:56:01,529 --> 00:56:05,116
First of all, you cannot even see
where my coach is.
883
00:56:05,116 --> 00:56:07,118
[chair umpire]
I know where your coach is, Mr. Becker.
884
00:56:07,619 --> 00:56:10,205
But I know you want me
out of the tournament.
885
00:56:10,205 --> 00:56:12,082
- No.
- I'm not gonna get out.
886
00:56:12,666 --> 00:56:16,253
[commentator 2] Boris Becker
having a little altercation there.
887
00:56:19,548 --> 00:56:21,633
- [spectators cheering]
- [line umpire] Out! Hit the line.
888
00:56:21,633 --> 00:56:23,260
[chair umpire]
Correction. The ball is good.
889
00:56:23,260 --> 00:56:25,679
- [commentator 2] Now listen to the--
- [chair umpire] 4-2 Masur.
890
00:56:25,679 --> 00:56:27,973
[commentator 3]
Definitely, the ball was good.
891
00:56:27,973 --> 00:56:29,849
Boris throwing a tantrum.
892
00:56:31,685 --> 00:56:34,020
Now he's totally destroyed that racket.
893
00:56:35,230 --> 00:56:36,648
- Shut up!
- [announcer] Quiet, please.
894
00:56:36,648 --> 00:56:39,234
- [spectators exclaiming]
- [announcer] Quiet, please. Thank you.
895
00:56:44,698 --> 00:56:47,659
[reporter 2] Just two days after
being bundled out of the Australian Open,
896
00:56:47,659 --> 00:56:51,079
19-year-old Becker is now
without the guidance of Günther Bosch.
897
00:56:51,079 --> 00:56:54,124
Becker told Bosch he no longer
wanted constant advice.
898
00:56:54,749 --> 00:56:56,543
[interviewer, in German]
What's going on with Günther Bosch
899
00:56:56,543 --> 00:56:58,670
ten days after the separation
from Boris Becker?
900
00:56:59,296 --> 00:57:01,673
Not much better than ten days ago.
901
00:57:01,673 --> 00:57:05,427
I have to honestly admit that I haven't
worked through this whole thing yet
902
00:57:05,427 --> 00:57:12,058
and I believe it'll take some time
until I'm over all of this.
903
00:57:12,767 --> 00:57:13,894
[reporter 2, in English]
Becker was tight-lipped
904
00:57:13,894 --> 00:57:15,186
when he and his girlfriend, Benny,
905
00:57:15,186 --> 00:57:17,022
left Melbourne for Brisbane this morning.
906
00:57:17,022 --> 00:57:18,732
Somehow, I'm gonna survive.
907
00:57:21,026 --> 00:57:24,154
[Becker] I really didn't have a coach
because I didn't wanna have a coach.
908
00:57:24,654 --> 00:57:27,365
Nobody's gonna tell me how to practice
and what to do.
909
00:57:27,365 --> 00:57:30,118
And-- And, in those days,
maybe I needed somebody.
910
00:57:32,829 --> 00:57:35,415
Wimbledon that year, I was top seeded.
911
00:57:35,415 --> 00:57:39,336
I was supposed to be the next Borg,
win it five times and all that.
912
00:57:43,715 --> 00:57:45,342
- [Doohan grunts]
- [Becker grunts]
913
00:57:46,343 --> 00:57:47,886
- No!
- [applause]
914
00:57:47,886 --> 00:57:50,138
That's out. Come on!
915
00:57:51,306 --> 00:57:52,307
[spectators cheering]
916
00:57:56,144 --> 00:57:58,563
{\an8}[Becker] I lost, and everybody
looking at-- the world stopped.
917
00:57:58,563 --> 00:58:00,148
"What happened? Oh, God."
918
00:58:00,148 --> 00:58:01,775
[interviewer] What do you think happened?
919
00:58:01,775 --> 00:58:04,069
Well, basically, I lost a tennis match,
you know?
920
00:58:04,069 --> 00:58:07,155
I didn't lose a war, nobody died.
I lost a tennis match.
921
00:58:07,656 --> 00:58:09,658
[reporters clamoring]
922
00:58:12,035 --> 00:58:13,745
[Becker]
I was questioning maybe everything.
923
00:58:13,745 --> 00:58:16,498
The so-called pressures
and responsibilities.
924
00:58:16,498 --> 00:58:18,833
I was looking around a little bit,
I was searching.
925
00:58:20,293 --> 00:58:22,921
I thought there must be more to life
than tennis.
926
00:58:22,921 --> 00:58:26,424
I was stuck. I was-- I said, "I...
[stammers] ...I can't get out of it."
927
00:58:26,424 --> 00:58:28,176
{\an8}The tabloids are always great to read.
928
00:58:28,176 --> 00:58:31,221
Here it's "Bonked! Dames spell doom."
929
00:58:31,221 --> 00:58:32,847
[comedian]
Boris Becker has found an excuse
930
00:58:32,847 --> 00:58:34,724
for why he hasn't won
any tennis matches for a while.
931
00:58:34,724 --> 00:58:37,310
He says it's 'cause
he's been doing too much bonking.
932
00:58:37,310 --> 00:58:39,688
Well, frankly-- Come on.
"Well, why aren't you winning?"
933
00:58:39,688 --> 00:58:41,565
"Well, I'm getting too much of that,
ain't I?"
934
00:59:12,345 --> 00:59:14,222
[commentator] Yes, game, Gilbert. Gilbert.
935
00:59:17,601 --> 00:59:18,977
{\an8}You know, when you're playing somebody
936
00:59:18,977 --> 00:59:22,272
{\an8}you're always trying to figure out
what you can do.
937
00:59:23,356 --> 00:59:26,526
{\an8}And the way I played, I always thought
about my opponents.
938
00:59:27,193 --> 00:59:28,194
Playing Boris.
939
00:59:28,194 --> 00:59:31,031
By then,
he was already a massive superstar.
940
00:59:32,407 --> 00:59:35,911
I gotta run everything down,
I gotta be doggedly determined.
941
00:59:37,412 --> 00:59:40,415
Maybe if I could make a ton of balls,
I could frustrate him.
942
00:59:40,415 --> 00:59:42,208
You know, there was an opportunity.
943
00:59:46,546 --> 00:59:49,007
[commentator]
Game and fourth set, Gilbert 7-5.
944
00:59:49,007 --> 00:59:52,761
[Gilbert] When I did break back,
Boris would start yelling at himself...
945
00:59:52,761 --> 00:59:55,138
[speaks German]
...and all these different things.
946
00:59:56,223 --> 00:59:59,059
I did enjoy seeing him get frustrated.
947
00:59:59,809 --> 01:00:02,562
[spectators cheering]
948
01:00:08,151 --> 01:00:09,945
[reporter]
Even more forlorn has been a face
949
01:00:09,945 --> 01:00:11,780
in the German television commentary box.
950
01:00:11,780 --> 01:00:16,076
[in German] It looks like
Boris will have a lot of trouble today...
951
01:00:16,076 --> 01:00:17,244
[reporter, in English] Günther Bosch,
952
01:00:17,244 --> 01:00:20,747
{\an8}who until the start of the year
was Boris Becker's coach.
953
01:00:26,962 --> 01:00:28,338
[Bosch, in German] It's his own fault.
954
01:00:29,548 --> 01:00:33,593
[commentator]
Yeah, this curse was for the airplane...
955
01:00:33,593 --> 01:00:35,345
The airplane just thundered by
over our heads.
956
01:00:35,345 --> 01:00:37,013
Becker was forced to take a break.
957
01:00:37,013 --> 01:00:38,640
[Bosch] It took too long.
958
01:00:40,308 --> 01:00:41,142
He has to serve there.
959
01:00:41,142 --> 01:00:44,312
He has to serve,
otherwise he gets out of rhythm.
960
01:00:45,272 --> 01:00:48,191
This break is far too long.
961
01:00:53,613 --> 01:00:55,740
- [commentator, in English] Unbelievable.
- [screams]
962
01:00:55,740 --> 01:00:57,200
[Becker] Everybody go through a phase
963
01:00:57,200 --> 01:01:00,036
where they feel pressure
for the right or the wrong reasons.
964
01:01:00,036 --> 01:01:02,539
{\an8}I was stuck between
a rock and a hard place,
965
01:01:02,539 --> 01:01:04,207
{\an8}that's why I felt the pressure.
966
01:01:05,458 --> 01:01:06,793
{\an8}I was simply tired.
967
01:01:08,086 --> 01:01:11,882
{\an8}I had very tough matches the whole week,
it was more a struggle.
968
01:01:11,882 --> 01:01:16,928
And, uh, so-- After a while,
it's going to go in your bones.
969
01:01:24,144 --> 01:01:27,272
In '87, I couldn't cope
with the pressures anymore
970
01:01:27,272 --> 01:01:30,734
of-of performing and winning
and I couldn't sleep anymore.
971
01:01:30,734 --> 01:01:33,862
I was jet-lagged and I just--
My mind just wouldn't stop.
972
01:01:35,196 --> 01:01:37,657
I had two long years,
I was a bit exhausted.
973
01:01:38,199 --> 01:01:40,035
I spoke to the German team doctor,
974
01:01:40,535 --> 01:01:42,954
he said, "Well,
there's this very soft sleeping pill,
975
01:01:42,954 --> 01:01:44,414
you can take it easily and it's--
976
01:01:44,414 --> 01:01:47,292
You know, you wake up after six hours
and you're perfectly fine."
977
01:01:48,209 --> 01:01:52,005
Well, it's very addictive.
And it's very strong.
978
01:01:52,672 --> 01:01:55,008
And you don't wake up
after five, six hours fresh.
979
01:01:55,008 --> 01:01:56,176
You feel like you're in a haze.
980
01:01:57,510 --> 01:02:01,264
And it made me sleep to a point where
I just couldn't sleep without it.
981
01:02:13,151 --> 01:02:15,362
After tournament,
then I would not take it.
982
01:02:15,862 --> 01:02:17,572
But if you're addicted
to strong sleeping pills,
983
01:02:17,572 --> 01:02:20,283
you can't sleep without them anyway.
984
01:02:20,283 --> 01:02:21,701
I'd be wide awake at night.
985
01:02:22,202 --> 01:02:25,372
I was talking to somebody,
I would go out, I have a drink.
986
01:02:25,372 --> 01:02:28,500
I was just not living the lifestyle
of a pro athlete.
987
01:02:30,210 --> 01:02:33,213
I kept pretending to play
and pretending everything was fine.
988
01:02:34,422 --> 01:02:37,342
I didn't know then how can I change it.
989
01:02:50,855 --> 01:02:51,982
[reporter, in German] It should be said,
990
01:02:51,982 --> 01:02:54,609
that the circumstances
at Hamburg's Rothenbaum were not normal.
991
01:02:54,609 --> 01:02:55,819
In the overflowing arena,
992
01:02:55,819 --> 01:02:59,406
many people couldn't find a spot
even though they had valid tickets.
993
01:02:59,406 --> 01:03:02,576
The growing restlessness
was felt on center court,
994
01:03:02,576 --> 01:03:06,413
where Boris Becker was outdone, at times,
by every trick in the book.
995
01:03:08,832 --> 01:03:11,626
[spectator] If you try to blame
the court or the audience...
996
01:03:11,626 --> 01:03:13,587
you just have to admit
that he didn't play well.
997
01:03:13,587 --> 01:03:15,088
And he doesn't want to recognize that.
998
01:03:15,088 --> 01:03:18,800
I haven't played a tournament in Germany
since Wimbledon '85.
999
01:03:18,800 --> 01:03:21,845
I didn't know I had so many fans!
1000
01:03:22,429 --> 01:03:24,472
I just wanted to be treated
like all the other players.
1001
01:03:24,472 --> 01:03:27,601
In Germany, that's not possible for me
1002
01:03:27,601 --> 01:03:30,270
because for other people,
I am probably something special.
1003
01:03:32,188 --> 01:03:34,024
[McEnroe, in English]
With Boris and Steffi Graf,
1004
01:03:34,024 --> 01:03:37,193
tennis became extremely important
at that time in Germany.
1005
01:03:37,193 --> 01:03:39,237
You know, it was, like, exploding then.
1006
01:03:40,155 --> 01:03:42,198
The attention was just unbelievable.
1007
01:03:42,198 --> 01:03:44,492
You know, he was like Michael Jordan
in Germany.
1008
01:03:44,492 --> 01:03:47,120
You know, you could say I was a big star
in the States,
1009
01:03:47,120 --> 01:03:50,332
but I-- I was never, like,
when it's all-encompassing.
1010
01:03:51,041 --> 01:03:52,334
He had to deal with that.
1011
01:03:59,716 --> 01:04:01,635
[attendant]
You're staying for the 14 days, is it?
1012
01:04:01,635 --> 01:04:04,471
No, more. It's about a month.
1013
01:04:04,471 --> 01:04:06,181
- [attendant] About a month? Okay.
- Yeah.
1014
01:04:06,806 --> 01:04:08,433
[attendant]
You mind if I ask you for an autograph?
1015
01:04:08,433 --> 01:04:09,643
Yeah, sure.
1016
01:04:10,185 --> 01:04:11,561
[attendant] To Vel. V.
1017
01:04:12,562 --> 01:04:13,939
- V?
- [Vel] V-E-L.
1018
01:04:21,279 --> 01:04:24,366
[Borg] They were very proud of Boris
in the beginning in Germany.
1019
01:04:24,366 --> 01:04:26,451
He was big hero,
1020
01:04:26,451 --> 01:04:29,746
{\an8}but he went through-- I think it was
more like jealousy problems.
1021
01:04:29,746 --> 01:04:31,456
{\an8}The same way I had in Sweden.
1022
01:04:31,456 --> 01:04:35,168
[crowd whistling, cheering]
1023
01:04:38,171 --> 01:04:39,673
[camera shutters clicking]
1024
01:04:41,466 --> 01:04:42,801
[Borg] No problems.
1025
01:04:42,801 --> 01:04:44,678
- Everything is...
- Not yet.
1026
01:04:44,678 --> 01:04:46,555
...under control.
1027
01:04:47,639 --> 01:04:49,724
[photographer]
If you don't work out as a tennis player,
1028
01:04:49,724 --> 01:04:52,018
you know,
you could become a male model, huh?
1029
01:04:54,437 --> 01:04:56,273
[reporter] Why aren't you playing tennis?
1030
01:04:56,273 --> 01:04:58,441
- That's a good question.
- [chuckles]
1031
01:04:58,441 --> 01:05:00,944
[Borg's partner] Some girls,
they write unbelievable letters--
1032
01:05:00,944 --> 01:05:02,445
- [reporter 2] To Björn?
- [Borg's partner] Yeah.
1033
01:05:02,445 --> 01:05:05,365
{\an8}And I open them
because he has no time to do that.
1034
01:05:05,365 --> 01:05:06,741
Well, I don't have enough time.
1035
01:05:06,741 --> 01:05:09,703
She doesn't let me open the letters.
That's the problem. [chuckles]
1036
01:05:09,703 --> 01:05:12,163
[reporter 3] What sort of things
were they saying in those letters?
1037
01:05:12,163 --> 01:05:15,166
[Borg's partner] "I want to meet you."
And they give the telephone numbers,
1038
01:05:15,166 --> 01:05:18,587
they send pictures all the time
and that's, uh, small things. [chuckles]
1039
01:05:18,587 --> 01:05:21,756
There are other things too
but I cannot mention them. [chuckles]
1040
01:05:21,756 --> 01:05:23,508
- [reporter 4] Really?
- [chuckles]
1041
01:05:24,676 --> 01:05:27,387
- [photographer] Good, good, good.
- Right.
1042
01:05:27,888 --> 01:05:32,767
They take you to a level
that you reach as an athlete.
1043
01:05:32,767 --> 01:05:35,228
And maybe when you reach that level,
1044
01:05:35,228 --> 01:05:38,356
maybe they want to take you down
a little bit.
1045
01:05:38,940 --> 01:05:41,192
That's exactly what happened in Germany
with Boris.
1046
01:05:41,735 --> 01:05:46,072
He is an icon in his home country.
He's always been, he's always gonna be.
1047
01:05:53,455 --> 01:05:56,791
{\an8}[Wilander]
To compare Boris to anyone, you can't.
1048
01:05:56,791 --> 01:06:02,005
{\an8}Because Boris is the first German
tennis player that had done anything big.
1049
01:06:02,005 --> 01:06:03,173
And we had Björn Borg.
1050
01:06:03,840 --> 01:06:06,676
And Björn Borg had already--
he cleared a path in Sweden.
1051
01:06:07,636 --> 01:06:09,304
We had the same hairstyle even
for a while.
1052
01:06:09,304 --> 01:06:11,389
I was even wearing a headband
until my brother said,
1053
01:06:11,389 --> 01:06:13,975
"What are you wearing a headband for?"
I'm like, "I don't know."
1054
01:06:14,559 --> 01:06:17,270
But Boris, he literally couldn't go out.
1055
01:06:19,564 --> 01:06:22,943
I think that the pressure is enormous,
being a German superstar.
1056
01:06:24,819 --> 01:06:27,239
[Becker] I felt like I had obligations
with the tournament
1057
01:06:27,239 --> 01:06:29,908
and the sponsorship in Germany
and God knows what.
1058
01:06:29,908 --> 01:06:33,662
So I felt trapped
and I wasn't man enough maybe to-- to say,
1059
01:06:33,662 --> 01:06:35,914
"Listen, stop. I'm taking a break."
1060
01:06:39,334 --> 01:06:41,795
I wasn't fulfilled in my private life.
1061
01:06:41,795 --> 01:06:44,923
I was with the wrong friends,
maybe with the wrong girlfriend.
1062
01:06:44,923 --> 01:06:48,426
The-- You know, the wrong surroundings
that weren't fulfilling me
1063
01:06:48,426 --> 01:06:50,929
and giving me the answers
that I was looking for,
1064
01:06:50,929 --> 01:06:53,682
uh, as a young man growing up in Europe.
1065
01:06:55,308 --> 01:06:59,187
What did I do? I changed scenarios.
1066
01:06:59,729 --> 01:07:03,441
I appointed a new coach that I picked,
not Tiriac or Bosch.
1067
01:07:03,441 --> 01:07:05,569
It was an Australian called Bob Brett.
1068
01:07:07,237 --> 01:07:10,240
{\an8}[Brett] Ion told me at that time
that I was not his choice.
1069
01:07:10,240 --> 01:07:11,866
{\an8}That was fine with me.
1070
01:07:12,701 --> 01:07:14,119
Boris was his own man.
1071
01:07:14,828 --> 01:07:18,039
[Becker] Ion said, "Don't take him.
I don't think he's good for you."
1072
01:07:19,165 --> 01:07:22,085
And the more he said that,
the more I wanted Bob.
1073
01:07:22,085 --> 01:07:24,963
[chuckles, stammers]
Another classical Boris.
1074
01:07:24,963 --> 01:07:27,799
It was a point to prove again to Tiriac
1075
01:07:27,799 --> 01:07:30,635
about my point of view
and his point of view.
1076
01:07:33,054 --> 01:07:35,348
Yes, he was still my mentor,
he was still the main guy,
1077
01:07:35,348 --> 01:07:37,225
but I felt like
I had to take a different route
1078
01:07:37,726 --> 01:07:41,104
to get to the promised land, no?
[chuckles]
1079
01:07:41,605 --> 01:07:43,356
["Boom Boom" playing]
1080
01:07:54,034 --> 01:07:56,620
{\an8}[announcer]
Championship point to Boris Becker.
1081
01:07:57,287 --> 01:07:59,080
{\an8}[commentator speaking German]
1082
01:07:59,956 --> 01:08:01,625
{\an8}[Becker] To qualify for the Masters,
1083
01:08:01,625 --> 01:08:04,169
{\an8}be amongst the top eight players
of the world.
1084
01:08:04,169 --> 01:08:06,838
{\an8}In '85, I reached the final.
I lost to Lendl.
1085
01:08:06,838 --> 01:08:09,466
In '86, who did I lose to? Lendl.
1086
01:08:09,466 --> 01:08:11,760
Guess who I'm playing in the final again?
1087
01:08:12,344 --> 01:08:14,221
Tie-break fifth set, back and forth.
1088
01:08:14,221 --> 01:08:15,931
He didn't wanna lose, I didn't wanna lose.
1089
01:08:15,931 --> 01:08:17,014
I have match point.
1090
01:08:17,641 --> 01:08:22,478
We have the longest rally
ever in a match point situation.
1091
01:08:22,478 --> 01:08:24,022
If I win, then I'll win the match.
1092
01:08:24,522 --> 01:08:25,522
[song continues]
1093
01:09:06,522 --> 01:09:07,857
[Becker] I hit the net cord...
1094
01:09:19,744 --> 01:09:20,870
and it bounced.
1095
01:09:20,870 --> 01:09:22,998
We both didn't see on which side.
1096
01:09:23,581 --> 01:09:25,083
We had to listen to the umpire.
1097
01:09:25,083 --> 01:09:28,169
{\an8}When he said, "Game, set, match,"
somebody with a German flag came over
1098
01:09:28,169 --> 01:09:29,420
{\an8}and ran around a little bit.
1099
01:09:36,636 --> 01:09:38,388
Then I went from strength to strength.
1100
01:09:39,013 --> 01:09:41,016
I won the US Open, I beat Ivan.
1101
01:09:42,933 --> 01:09:44,311
[spectators cheering]
1102
01:09:49,024 --> 01:09:51,692
{\an8}I spent less and less time in Europe.
[stammers]
1103
01:09:51,692 --> 01:09:55,739
Started to spend more time
in America and-- and in Australia
1104
01:09:55,739 --> 01:09:59,242
and just away from--
from maybe being Boris Becker.
1105
01:10:04,205 --> 01:10:07,334
I really liked-- liked Bob
and what he brought to the table
1106
01:10:07,334 --> 01:10:08,418
and how he practiced.
1107
01:10:08,418 --> 01:10:11,379
And I started enjoying tennis again
1108
01:10:11,379 --> 01:10:13,924
because it wasn't the only thing
I did during the day.
1109
01:10:16,176 --> 01:10:18,011
[marching band playing]
1110
01:10:21,056 --> 01:10:24,309
[Becker, in German] It's not enough for me
to play tennis for three hours a day
1111
01:10:24,309 --> 01:10:25,727
and then go to bed.
1112
01:10:25,727 --> 01:10:27,687
For me, that would be horrible.
1113
01:10:28,605 --> 01:10:34,527
Therefore, I have to do other things
that stimulate my mind,
1114
01:10:34,527 --> 01:10:36,363
inspire me.
1115
01:10:47,749 --> 01:10:52,045
[interviewer] Mr. Bosch, you've known
Boris for a decade, maybe even longer.
1116
01:10:52,671 --> 01:10:53,964
A bit longer, yes.
1117
01:10:53,964 --> 01:10:56,758
[interviewer]
In retrospect, what do you think
1118
01:10:56,758 --> 01:10:59,261
are his biggest strengths and weaknesses?
1119
01:11:00,053 --> 01:11:03,682
[Bosch] I wrote about this in my book.
1120
01:11:03,682 --> 01:11:08,895
During the tournaments, it's not Becker
against Edberg or Becker against Lendl.
1121
01:11:08,895 --> 01:11:10,855
Often it's Becker against Becker.
1122
01:11:11,690 --> 01:11:14,985
And if he's able to tackle this Becker,
1123
01:11:14,985 --> 01:11:17,696
this internal opponent,
he will win the game.
1124
01:11:19,489 --> 01:11:21,074
[in English] It's just too much, you know?
1125
01:11:21,950 --> 01:11:24,786
[speaks indistinctly]
1126
01:11:37,173 --> 01:11:39,593
[Becker]
Stefan Edberg was my toughest opponent.
1127
01:11:40,468 --> 01:11:43,054
One of the finest serve-and-volley players
of all time.
1128
01:11:43,054 --> 01:11:44,556
[commentator exclaims]
1129
01:11:44,556 --> 01:11:46,474
Oh, la, la, la.
1130
01:11:47,267 --> 01:11:49,394
[Becker] I compared him to Baryshnikov.
1131
01:11:49,978 --> 01:11:53,440
He was floating on the court
like Baryshnikov on stage.
1132
01:12:02,198 --> 01:12:05,076
He was light on his feet and flying
and never off-balance
1133
01:12:05,076 --> 01:12:06,828
and always in the right position.
1134
01:12:11,333 --> 01:12:13,960
[in German] I play against Edberg
and I know exactly where I stand.
1135
01:12:13,960 --> 01:12:18,548
If I win against him 6-4, 6-4,
I know I'm in top shape
1136
01:12:18,548 --> 01:12:23,053
or when he kicks my butt
I know I have to train a lot more.
1137
01:12:23,053 --> 01:12:25,138
[spectators cheering, whistling]
1138
01:12:31,019 --> 01:12:32,562
{\an8}[Becker, in English] '88. Edberg.
1139
01:12:33,063 --> 01:12:35,649
On Wimbledon Centre Court,
which I consider my home.
1140
01:12:37,943 --> 01:12:38,944
[exhales]
1141
01:12:39,945 --> 01:12:42,405
[commentator]
Edberg really came back quite beautifully.
1142
01:12:42,405 --> 01:12:45,700
He was being dominated by Becker,
but he held on.
1143
01:12:46,952 --> 01:12:49,996
[interviewer] When they went head-to-head,
as a Swede, who were you rooting for?
1144
01:12:49,996 --> 01:12:51,289
- Were you rooting for--
- [chuckles]
1145
01:12:51,289 --> 01:12:54,000
I have to root for-- for Stefan,
of course.
1146
01:12:56,127 --> 01:12:57,629
[commentator 2] Championship point.
1147
01:12:59,005 --> 01:13:01,007
[Borg] Wimbledon, they played three times.
1148
01:13:01,007 --> 01:13:03,301
The rivalry, it's great for tennis.
1149
01:13:07,639 --> 01:13:09,599
[spectators shouting, gasping]
1150
01:13:09,599 --> 01:13:12,102
{\an8}- [spectators cheering]
- [announcer] Game, set, match, Edberg.
1151
01:13:14,271 --> 01:13:16,481
{\an8}[commentator]
Becker wanting once more to put his hand
1152
01:13:16,481 --> 01:13:19,025
on the most famous trophy in tennis.
1153
01:13:19,651 --> 01:13:23,154
[spectators cheering, applauding]
1154
01:13:23,822 --> 01:13:27,659
[Stich] You have to learn
to accept defeat and that you were wrong.
1155
01:13:28,201 --> 01:13:32,747
{\an8}That losing is part of the game as well,
and that's the tough part.
1156
01:13:33,832 --> 01:13:35,959
{\an8}[interviewer] Because the very next match,
you have to go on board
1157
01:13:35,959 --> 01:13:37,836
- as if you're gonna win.
- Yes.
1158
01:13:51,558 --> 01:13:54,853
[Becker, in German] My opponent
in the back of my mind is always Edberg.
1159
01:13:57,856 --> 01:13:59,482
[applause]
1160
01:14:00,942 --> 01:14:02,527
[spectators cheering]
1161
01:14:06,781 --> 01:14:08,783
- [spectators cheer]
- [applause]
1162
01:14:10,035 --> 01:14:12,746
[commentator, in English] Stefan Edberg
must be wondering what's hit him.
1163
01:14:13,455 --> 01:14:16,333
- So championship point to Boris Becker.
- [spectators shouting]
1164
01:14:19,878 --> 01:14:21,129
{\an8}[spectators cheering, applauding]
1165
01:14:21,129 --> 01:14:24,382
{\an8}[commentator 2] Game, set, match. Becker.
1166
01:14:24,382 --> 01:14:27,719
[commentator 3] And a truly magnificent
performance from Boris Becker,
1167
01:14:27,719 --> 01:14:29,930
who has just hurled his racket
into the crowd.
1168
01:14:29,930 --> 01:14:31,848
I've never seen anyone do that before.
1169
01:14:31,848 --> 01:14:35,685
[spectators cheering, applauding]
1170
01:14:53,328 --> 01:14:55,330
[players grunting]
1171
01:14:58,875 --> 01:15:00,669
[spectators cheering, applauding]
1172
01:15:06,675 --> 01:15:09,511
You see the electricity a little bit, huh?
You get the vibe, yeah.
1173
01:15:09,511 --> 01:15:10,679
[interviewer] Yeah.
1174
01:15:10,679 --> 01:15:12,973
And that's what young players
are intimidated from.
1175
01:15:13,473 --> 01:15:16,434
They can't deal with this. [scoffs]
1176
01:15:17,519 --> 01:15:18,520
Can't hide.
1177
01:15:19,813 --> 01:15:21,231
You go through your ups and downs
1178
01:15:21,231 --> 01:15:23,316
and lose a bit of motivation,
bit of hunger.
1179
01:15:23,316 --> 01:15:26,027
And you just wanna do different things
than always playing tennis,
1180
01:15:26,027 --> 01:15:28,446
so for him to come back last year--
1181
01:15:28,446 --> 01:15:31,157
Novak's physically fit,
I think he's mentally sane.
1182
01:15:31,157 --> 01:15:33,535
And why wouldn't he?
It's the best thing in the world.
1183
01:15:33,535 --> 01:15:35,829
I would've accepted it,
to be able to do that.
1184
01:15:35,829 --> 01:15:37,080
Same thing happened with me.
1185
01:15:37,664 --> 01:15:39,833
Okay, Boris and Mac, thank you very much.
1186
01:15:39,833 --> 01:15:41,501
And Roger Federer will be on court...
1187
01:15:42,252 --> 01:15:45,422
[Becker] I always was intrigued
by the media, by journalism.
1188
01:15:45,422 --> 01:15:48,967
But I had to start at back of the queue
and just work my way up
1189
01:15:48,967 --> 01:15:52,053
to a position in front of the camera
and talking about tennis.
1190
01:15:53,054 --> 01:15:56,016
Up to the point where they let me
co-host a Wimbledon final.
1191
01:15:57,309 --> 01:15:59,269
[Becker] Becoming a forehand contest.
1192
01:16:00,020 --> 01:16:01,771
- Who hits it harder?
- [applause]
1193
01:16:01,771 --> 01:16:03,773
[Becker]
Federer's gonna run around the backhand
1194
01:16:03,773 --> 01:16:05,525
and just smothers the forehand.
1195
01:16:07,360 --> 01:16:08,361
[reporter] Welcome to the Daily Serve.
1196
01:16:08,361 --> 01:16:11,531
Adam Peacock alongside
Boris Becker and Kim Clijsters.
1197
01:16:12,365 --> 01:16:14,075
[Becker]
They must have liked what they saw.
1198
01:16:14,075 --> 01:16:17,662
Losing is part of winning,
it's part of playing tennis, and...
1199
01:16:18,204 --> 01:16:20,248
I mean, if there's one thing
I really know, it's tennis.
1200
01:16:21,207 --> 01:16:23,168
[interviewer]
Boris's success as a commentator
1201
01:16:23,168 --> 01:16:25,128
was about more than tennis savvy.
1202
01:16:25,754 --> 01:16:28,882
He's a good storyteller. One of
the reasons he was interesting to me.
1203
01:16:30,258 --> 01:16:33,136
He sees players as if
they're characters in movies.
1204
01:16:33,762 --> 01:16:37,057
His commentary can be so funny,
charming and seductive,
1205
01:16:37,766 --> 01:16:41,228
I sometimes wonder
if it's too much fun to be true.
1206
01:16:41,770 --> 01:16:43,355
So there's two, then you skip two...
1207
01:16:43,355 --> 01:16:44,606
- Ah.
- [interviewer] ...and there's one more.
1208
01:16:45,106 --> 01:16:48,109
Final, final, final, final.
1209
01:16:52,322 --> 01:16:55,242
[Borg] Stefan beat Boris,
Boris beat Stefan.
1210
01:16:55,951 --> 01:16:58,954
And then they played the third time,
there was the five-set match.
1211
01:16:58,954 --> 01:17:00,121
Really great match.
1212
01:17:02,249 --> 01:17:03,250
[person] Peter.
1213
01:17:04,125 --> 01:17:05,377
- Forty seconds.
- Yeah.
1214
01:17:06,795 --> 01:17:10,632
[Becker] In '90, I was still
very much hooked on sleeping pills.
1215
01:17:10,632 --> 01:17:11,883
Before the Wimbledon final,
1216
01:17:11,883 --> 01:17:15,887
I took my last sleeping pill
at five o'clock in the morning. [chuckles]
1217
01:17:15,887 --> 01:17:18,598
[laughing] Mistake.
1218
01:17:20,976 --> 01:17:24,479
The practice was at 11:00,
the match was at 2:00.
1219
01:17:25,355 --> 01:17:29,859
I woke up out of a dazed sleep
at 11:30 in the morning.
1220
01:17:32,821 --> 01:17:36,616
I had something quick to eat,
and I rushed to the club.
1221
01:17:39,494 --> 01:17:41,162
Uh, "Can I hit a little bit?"
1222
01:17:41,162 --> 01:17:43,456
So I hit a little bit at 12:30,
one o'clock.
1223
01:17:50,213 --> 01:17:51,089
I start the match.
1224
01:17:55,886 --> 01:17:57,804
[spectators gasping]
1225
01:17:57,804 --> 01:18:00,765
[Becker] I was so slow,
everything I do, the ball passes me.
1226
01:18:00,765 --> 01:18:02,100
I don't know what I'm doing.
1227
01:18:03,018 --> 01:18:05,687
I lose the first set, the second set.
1228
01:18:07,439 --> 01:18:09,858
I must have sweat enough,
I must have woken up.
1229
01:18:26,666 --> 01:18:27,792
[applause]
1230
01:18:29,920 --> 01:18:32,255
[applause]
1231
01:18:36,801 --> 01:18:39,137
[applause]
1232
01:18:41,473 --> 01:18:42,766
[Becker] Big comeback.
1233
01:18:42,766 --> 01:18:45,352
I am up 4-1 in the fifth set.
1234
01:18:47,020 --> 01:18:48,563
[sucks teeth] I get nervous.
1235
01:18:54,027 --> 01:18:56,905
- [spectators cheering]
- [announcer] Game, Edberg.
1236
01:19:01,159 --> 01:19:03,620
[Stich] Body language
is how you walk on court, you know.
1237
01:19:03,620 --> 01:19:05,163
If your shoulders are up straight,
1238
01:19:05,163 --> 01:19:08,792
if you're just a little bit
leaning forward, whatever you do.
1239
01:19:08,792 --> 01:19:13,630
What you might not realize yourself,
but your opponent sees it. He senses it.
1240
01:19:14,339 --> 01:19:19,094
And that short moment just takes enough
out of you, out of your confidence,
1241
01:19:19,094 --> 01:19:23,306
out of your belief, that it just
gives the other player an edge.
1242
01:19:24,683 --> 01:19:28,144
You can't even describe it
or write it down, what happens.
1243
01:19:28,144 --> 01:19:31,856
It's just such a short fraction
of a thought
1244
01:19:31,856 --> 01:19:35,902
that just can turn a match, uh,
one way or the other.
1245
01:19:35,902 --> 01:19:37,612
[spectators shouting]
1246
01:19:45,120 --> 01:19:47,330
[spectators cheering]
1247
01:19:47,330 --> 01:19:49,583
{\an8}[commentator] Game, set, match, Edberg.
1248
01:19:54,713 --> 01:19:56,756
[Becker] He ends up winning 6-4.
1249
01:19:59,092 --> 01:20:02,929
I said, "You stupid idiot. You know,
you could have beaten him earlier.
1250
01:20:02,929 --> 01:20:06,808
And you gotta stop the sleeping pills,
it's not gonna get you anywhere."
1251
01:20:07,934 --> 01:20:11,021
So-- So that was a match that--
that thankfully I lost.
1252
01:20:11,021 --> 01:20:12,439
Uh... [inhales deeply]
1253
01:20:12,439 --> 01:20:17,110
I remember, um, soon after I had my last
package and I threw it out of the window.
1254
01:20:17,903 --> 01:20:20,155
And I said, "no más," this is...
1255
01:20:20,155 --> 01:20:21,448
[interviewer] This is odd.
1256
01:20:21,948 --> 01:20:26,494
Boris said he threw out his sleeping pills
right after losing to Edberg in 1990,
1257
01:20:27,412 --> 01:20:28,622
but in his book,
1258
01:20:28,622 --> 01:20:33,043
he wrote that his wife tossed the last
packets out a full two years later.
1259
01:20:33,960 --> 01:20:36,421
Was this just a simple case
of misremembering?
1260
01:20:37,881 --> 01:20:40,634
I never had any experiences with drugs.
1261
01:20:41,176 --> 01:20:43,845
So I thought it was, uh, the devil.
[chuckles]
1262
01:20:43,845 --> 01:20:45,889
I didn't even understand
why he would take them.
1263
01:20:45,889 --> 01:20:50,393
I just knew he didn't want to take them,
and he said it didn't do him good,
1264
01:20:50,393 --> 01:20:54,397
so I just flushed 'em down the toilet.
[chuckles]
1265
01:20:54,397 --> 01:20:57,234
Yeah. I don't know.
Does he tell the story differently?
1266
01:20:57,234 --> 01:21:01,404
Look, there's a-- there's a phenomenon
when you've been part of my life,
1267
01:21:01,404 --> 01:21:03,448
and she's certainly been a big part,
1268
01:21:03,448 --> 01:21:05,700
and some of-- other friends
have been a big part,
1269
01:21:05,700 --> 01:21:09,829
that, um, you make up your own mind
what happened,
1270
01:21:09,829 --> 01:21:11,790
uh, with certain things.
1271
01:21:11,790 --> 01:21:13,750
Uh, and you're convinced that's true.
1272
01:21:13,750 --> 01:21:18,505
Now, since-- since-- [stammers]
I was the one needing sleeping pills,
1273
01:21:19,005 --> 01:21:22,801
I pretty much know when I took some
and when I didn't take any.
1274
01:21:23,301 --> 01:21:25,762
You know, 'cause usually
you're alone when you do that.
1275
01:21:28,098 --> 01:21:30,767
[interviewer] When we're alone,
we all tell ourselves stories.
1276
01:21:31,643 --> 01:21:34,938
We remember things,
not always the way they were,
1277
01:21:34,938 --> 01:21:36,690
but the way we want them to be.
1278
01:21:37,899 --> 01:21:40,902
If Boris tells me the way it was
with sleeping pills,
1279
01:21:40,902 --> 01:21:42,362
who am I to question him?
1280
01:21:43,613 --> 01:21:46,575
Still, I have to wonder
why his stories change.
1281
01:21:47,409 --> 01:21:50,704
Is there a difference between
the way he tells stories to others,
1282
01:21:51,580 --> 01:21:54,958
and the ones he feels
he needs to tell himself as a player
1283
01:21:54,958 --> 01:21:56,710
in order to reach the top?
1284
01:21:57,335 --> 01:21:59,796
[journalist, in German]
There are people who think that sometimes
1285
01:21:59,796 --> 01:22:05,260
you like to create certain situations
in games.
1286
01:22:05,260 --> 01:22:10,640
For example, maybe you bring it to
a fifth set or bring it to a tiebreak.
1287
01:22:11,266 --> 01:22:14,477
Are you trying to artificially create
adrenaline rushes in those situations?
1288
01:22:14,477 --> 01:22:17,272
Well, sometimes not so directly,
1289
01:22:17,272 --> 01:22:21,651
but deep down I know
that I can beat the opponent.
1290
01:22:21,651 --> 01:22:23,486
It doesn't matter if my legs hurt.
1291
01:22:23,987 --> 01:22:27,908
In doing so, I also test my psyche.
I see how strong I am.
1292
01:22:27,908 --> 01:22:31,953
So if I know that I can
beat my opponent 6-2, 6-2,
1293
01:22:31,953 --> 01:22:34,998
then I get a bit lazy sometimes,
I have to admit.
1294
01:22:35,707 --> 01:22:38,627
And then when it gets close,
I have to come on strong.
1295
01:22:39,753 --> 01:22:41,630
That's good and bad.
1296
01:22:42,464 --> 01:22:47,135
I lose strength, physical strength. I win...
1297
01:22:47,135 --> 01:22:49,846
- [journalist speaks German]
- Yeah, but I win mental strength.
1298
01:23:00,815 --> 01:23:02,567
- [person speaking German]
- [in German] What?
1299
01:23:04,653 --> 01:23:06,071
What did you say?
1300
01:23:08,573 --> 01:23:10,367
[in English] I always had trouble
with the Australian Open,
1301
01:23:10,367 --> 01:23:13,078
because it was always played
in the middle of January.
1302
01:23:13,078 --> 01:23:14,579
Australia is very hot.
1303
01:23:15,080 --> 01:23:18,375
So it takes me a long time
to get adjusted with the weather,
1304
01:23:18,375 --> 01:23:19,960
but also with the time change.
1305
01:23:20,460 --> 01:23:23,672
Bob Brett said,
"Boris, why don't we go before Christmas,
1306
01:23:24,256 --> 01:23:28,385
first play a tournament in Adelaide,
and really get adjusted to the weather.
1307
01:23:28,927 --> 01:23:30,136
It's bloody hot."
1308
01:23:30,136 --> 01:23:31,680
[singing]
1309
01:23:31,680 --> 01:23:33,598
[performer] Yes, it's a bit sad actually
1310
01:23:33,598 --> 01:23:37,894
because I've got to go back to
all that snow and ice again tomorrow.
1311
01:23:38,395 --> 01:23:41,940
Oh, it's much nicer down here in the warm,
I'm here to tell you.
1312
01:23:47,946 --> 01:23:51,241
[Becker] Christmas Eve,
we were in a restaurant. I was miserable.
1313
01:23:51,241 --> 01:23:52,576
I was missing my family.
1314
01:23:52,576 --> 01:23:57,038
♪ I wish you a merry Christmas
I wish you a merry Christmas ♪
1315
01:23:57,038 --> 01:23:59,165
And a happy new year ♪
1316
01:24:16,600 --> 01:24:18,310
{\an8}- [line judge] Out!
- [applause]
1317
01:24:20,604 --> 01:24:24,316
{\an8}[Becker] The first small tournament
in Australia was against Magnus Larsson,
1318
01:24:24,316 --> 01:24:27,819
ranked maybe 100 in the world.
1319
01:24:29,154 --> 01:24:30,405
{\an8}[Becker] I lose the first set.
1320
01:24:32,282 --> 01:24:35,911
[in German] Sometimes yeah,
I only do what is necessary in the moment.
1321
01:24:38,204 --> 01:24:42,542
Secretly, I know,
even if I lose in the first set
1322
01:24:42,542 --> 01:24:44,127
and the second and the third--
I'll get him.
1323
01:24:44,920 --> 01:24:48,506
That's how I'm testing my psyche.
1324
01:24:55,180 --> 01:24:57,182
{\an8}[applause]
1325
01:24:59,184 --> 01:25:01,394
{\an8}[announcer, in English]
...6-4, 3-6, 7-6.
1326
01:25:02,437 --> 01:25:04,022
[Becker] I lost it.
Lost in the first round,
1327
01:25:04,022 --> 01:25:05,565
even though I was top seeded.
1328
01:25:20,747 --> 01:25:22,457
[person, in German] How can you explain
1329
01:25:22,457 --> 01:25:25,335
the fact that someone like you lost
against such a guy?
1330
01:25:27,379 --> 01:25:33,677
My mind wasn't fully present.
1331
01:25:34,302 --> 01:25:38,640
That's really what it was.
I still had trouble with my...
1332
01:25:40,559 --> 01:25:43,687
...with my mind, such that...
1333
01:25:43,687 --> 01:25:48,441
I could not focus for four points in a row
1334
01:25:51,361 --> 01:25:52,988
on the court.
1335
01:25:52,988 --> 01:25:57,909
Rather, I thought after two already
that I would win the game.
1336
01:25:57,909 --> 01:26:00,996
[person] Do you consider yourself
to be a genius? In tennis?
1337
01:26:01,788 --> 01:26:02,789
Um...
1338
01:26:06,626 --> 01:26:08,837
Sometimes I do.
1339
01:26:08,837 --> 01:26:12,299
Sometimes I wonder how I get out of
1340
01:26:12,299 --> 01:26:14,009
the problem once again.
1341
01:26:14,509 --> 01:26:17,846
If I'm down two sets,
1342
01:26:17,846 --> 01:26:21,016
I don't know
where I can get the strength from
1343
01:26:21,016 --> 01:26:24,477
to keep my head and stay cool
and then still make the point.
1344
01:26:24,477 --> 01:26:26,396
That's often a mystery to me too.
1345
01:26:26,396 --> 01:26:29,274
And then I come to the conclusion
that somehow I can
1346
01:26:29,274 --> 01:26:31,151
do it a bit better than the others.
1347
01:26:33,570 --> 01:26:35,697
But not often enough.
1348
01:26:36,907 --> 01:26:38,533
[interviewer, in English]
When I found this footage,
1349
01:26:38,533 --> 01:26:40,535
it reminded me of something else entirely.
1350
01:26:44,080 --> 01:26:47,292
Harry Houdini put himself
in perilous predicaments,
1351
01:26:47,292 --> 01:26:49,669
so he could entertain us with his escapes.
1352
01:26:53,423 --> 01:26:57,135
Boris Becker saw the mystery,
even genius, of his talent
1353
01:26:57,135 --> 01:26:58,720
as doing the same thing.
1354
01:26:59,304 --> 01:27:03,892
Putting himself in a bad situation
to summon an invincible strength.
1355
01:27:04,726 --> 01:27:08,563
Knowing his future, I wondered
if he learned unconsciously over time
1356
01:27:08,563 --> 01:27:10,607
to seek out bad situations.
1357
01:27:11,399 --> 01:27:13,985
It didn't make sense
as a philosophy of life.
1358
01:27:14,611 --> 01:27:17,113
But on the tennis court,
it was breathtaking.
1359
01:27:25,956 --> 01:27:28,208
{\an8}[commentator] The two combatants,
a little tense.
1360
01:27:29,751 --> 01:27:32,879
And Lendl taking the first chair.
1361
01:27:34,839 --> 01:27:38,301
Ivan Lendl to serve the first game.
1362
01:27:39,219 --> 01:27:42,180
[Becker] There was a lot at stake.
Ivan was one, I was two.
1363
01:27:42,681 --> 01:27:45,141
If I beat him today,
I'm the new world number one.
1364
01:27:57,946 --> 01:27:59,281
- [line judge] Out!
- [commentator] Yes.
1365
01:27:59,281 --> 01:28:00,991
[applause]
1366
01:28:01,741 --> 01:28:03,577
[commentator] So first blood for Lendl.
1367
01:28:09,416 --> 01:28:11,376
- [line judge 2] Out!
- [announcer] Game, Lendl.
1368
01:28:13,628 --> 01:28:15,797
- [line judge 2] Out!
- [Becker screams]
1369
01:28:15,797 --> 01:28:17,173
[speaking German]
1370
01:28:18,174 --> 01:28:19,175
[speaking German]
1371
01:28:21,219 --> 01:28:23,221
- [commentator] Ace number five.
- [applause]
1372
01:28:24,556 --> 01:28:25,724
[commentator] That's six now.
1373
01:28:29,352 --> 01:28:32,063
- [announcer] Game, Lendl.
- [commentator] Three consecutive aces.
1374
01:28:33,607 --> 01:28:34,691
To set point.
1375
01:28:43,783 --> 01:28:45,452
[announcer] Game and first set, Lendl.
1376
01:28:50,498 --> 01:28:53,752
[commentator 2] I'm bothered by all
the stretching that Becker's been doing.
1377
01:28:53,752 --> 01:28:54,920
[commentator]
Perhaps he has done something.
1378
01:28:54,920 --> 01:28:58,089
Well, I wonder why
he doesn't call for the trainer.
1379
01:28:58,757 --> 01:29:03,136
Well, this is going to be a real test
of Becker's mental powers.
1380
01:29:15,815 --> 01:29:17,067
[interviewer]
You hear this phrase so much,
1381
01:29:17,067 --> 01:29:19,110
"mentally tough" and "mentally strong."
1382
01:29:19,110 --> 01:29:21,988
- How would you describe what that means?
- [inhales deeply]
1383
01:29:21,988 --> 01:29:23,698
{\an8}First of all, you know who you are,
1384
01:29:23,698 --> 01:29:27,661
{\an8}and, uh, your self-belief
is stronger than your doubts.
1385
01:29:28,245 --> 01:29:31,289
It's really of understanding
what your strengths are
1386
01:29:31,915 --> 01:29:33,625
and also what your flaws are.
1387
01:29:34,501 --> 01:29:36,878
And being vulnerable at times
also is strong.
1388
01:29:37,837 --> 01:29:40,840
Especially in men's sports,
there's no vulnerability,
1389
01:29:40,840 --> 01:29:43,468
you know, if you cry you're weak.
1390
01:29:43,468 --> 01:29:45,303
I-I don't agree with that at all.
1391
01:29:45,303 --> 01:29:49,724
We all go through emotions, suppressed
emotions that come out when we battle.
1392
01:29:50,517 --> 01:29:54,854
And we have fears, we have doubts
and it's okay to feel this way.
1393
01:29:58,191 --> 01:30:00,652
[Stich] Once, in a long match like that,
you have that one doubt
1394
01:30:00,652 --> 01:30:05,282
and you feel like, "Well, I can't lift
my right arm up for my serve," it's over.
1395
01:30:05,282 --> 01:30:11,121
The true champions win many Grand Slams
because they have that mental strength,
1396
01:30:11,121 --> 01:30:16,251
{\an8}not to let errors
or thoughts about errors creep in
1397
01:30:16,251 --> 01:30:18,962
{\an8}for a fraction of a second.
1398
01:30:18,962 --> 01:30:21,298
{\an8}When they play, it's all about winning.
1399
01:30:21,298 --> 01:30:23,133
There should be no doubt.
1400
01:30:25,385 --> 01:30:26,803
[Wilander]
The rest of us, we had to believe
1401
01:30:26,803 --> 01:30:29,764
that we could find a weakness
in our opponent at some point.
1402
01:30:29,764 --> 01:30:32,142
But with Boris,
I think it was all about himself.
1403
01:30:32,142 --> 01:30:34,853
That he at some point
is gonna find a level
1404
01:30:34,853 --> 01:30:37,939
that he believes he should be playing at
every day, every point.
1405
01:30:37,939 --> 01:30:39,941
It looked like he thought
it was just a matter of time.
1406
01:30:41,318 --> 01:30:44,404
[Borg]
He could be down, losing the matches.
1407
01:30:44,404 --> 01:30:48,074
But then turn around the match,
and end up winning the championship.
1408
01:30:48,074 --> 01:30:49,618
And to be mental strong,
1409
01:30:49,618 --> 01:30:54,706
that is the different
between winning or losing.
1410
01:30:54,706 --> 01:30:58,460
It could be one or two points,
or one game.
1411
01:30:58,460 --> 01:31:03,506
And that is the difference between
a champion and not a champion.
1412
01:31:06,051 --> 01:31:07,427
[Becker] You're alone on that court.
1413
01:31:07,427 --> 01:31:10,639
And if you have self-doubt,
if you have a lack of confidence,
1414
01:31:10,639 --> 01:31:12,849
you might as well
not even start the match.
1415
01:31:15,185 --> 01:31:16,186
It's a lonely place.
1416
01:31:16,186 --> 01:31:21,399
It's scary to go out in front of 20,000
people and millions watching at home.
1417
01:31:21,399 --> 01:31:25,028
I mean, you--
You know, as a man, you have big balls.
1418
01:31:25,028 --> 01:31:29,157
I mean, you have to-- You have to
go out there and show it to everybody
1419
01:31:29,157 --> 01:31:31,660
that I'm ready to battle today.
1420
01:31:34,704 --> 01:31:36,539
[in German] Where I get the strength
1421
01:31:37,624 --> 01:31:40,835
to keep my head and stay cool
and then still make the point,
1422
01:31:40,835 --> 01:31:42,671
that's often a mystery to me too.
1423
01:31:45,340 --> 01:31:48,635
And then I come to the conclusion
that somehow I can
1424
01:31:48,635 --> 01:31:50,262
do it a bit better than the others.
1425
01:32:14,828 --> 01:32:16,204
[spectators cheering]
1426
01:32:17,163 --> 01:32:19,416
[commentator, in English] That's
the Becker we've come to know and love.
1427
01:32:19,416 --> 01:32:21,418
["Boom Boom" playing]
1428
01:32:32,178 --> 01:32:33,972
[commentator 2] Lendl is really angry now.
1429
01:32:34,806 --> 01:32:36,016
[announcer] Quiet, please.
1430
01:32:40,186 --> 01:32:41,980
[commentator] Yes. The set is Becker's.
1431
01:32:52,741 --> 01:32:54,743
{\an8}- [music ends]
- [spectators cheering, applauding]
1432
01:32:58,997 --> 01:33:02,083
[commentator] Three match points,
three championship points
1433
01:33:02,083 --> 01:33:03,668
for Boris Becker.
1434
01:33:03,668 --> 01:33:08,173
[Becker, in German]
And then I realize, "Oh, shit."
1435
01:33:08,173 --> 01:33:12,802
It could be over soon. I also thought,
"This here could be my last stroke as--
1436
01:33:12,802 --> 01:33:15,388
Or rather, my first stroke as number one."
1437
01:33:18,308 --> 01:33:21,394
What will happen if I make it?
There is nothing left anymore.
1438
01:33:26,691 --> 01:33:29,110
{\an8}[commentator, in English]
That's it, Becker is the new champion.
1439
01:33:29,110 --> 01:33:33,031
{\an8}[spectators cheering, applauding]
1440
01:33:39,955 --> 01:33:42,832
[Becker, in German]
And suddenly, I could fly!
1441
01:33:42,832 --> 01:33:47,587
I couldn't stand still.
I had to move, I had to get out.
1442
01:33:52,509 --> 01:33:56,596
I didn't want to compose myself,
because I've done that the entire time.
1443
01:33:56,596 --> 01:34:00,976
I ran outside and just kept running.
1444
01:34:04,020 --> 01:34:06,856
[Becker, in English] One of the security
guys started running after me.
1445
01:34:06,856 --> 01:34:09,651
He said, "Listen, Boris.
The whole world is waiting."
1446
01:34:12,737 --> 01:34:14,573
[commentator 3] Well, this is the walk
1447
01:34:14,573 --> 01:34:17,492
that Boris Becker had planned
in his dreams.
1448
01:34:23,999 --> 01:34:26,001
[spectators cheering, applauding]
1449
01:34:27,669 --> 01:34:31,172
Well, I, uh, cannot say
very much right now.
1450
01:34:31,172 --> 01:34:34,926
It's just unbelievable for me
at this moment and...
1451
01:34:36,219 --> 01:34:39,180
Thank you all, and I'm sorry. Thank you.
1452
01:34:39,180 --> 01:34:43,268
[spectators cheering, applauding]
1453
01:34:52,861 --> 01:34:54,905
[Becker, in German]
I was a little terrified of that moment.
1454
01:34:56,489 --> 01:34:57,616
Then in that moment,
1455
01:34:57,616 --> 01:35:02,913
it was as if a tremendous weight
was suddenly lifted off of my shoulders.
1456
01:35:02,913 --> 01:35:08,168
It was a little bit like Wimbledon '85.
1457
01:35:11,296 --> 01:35:16,218
It will never again be how it was.
That's what I felt in that moment.
1458
01:35:17,010 --> 01:35:18,053
Everything was free.
1459
01:35:33,109 --> 01:35:34,110
[inhales deeply]