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[reporter 1] Boris Becker
has been found guilty of four charges
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under the Insolvency Act...
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[reporter 2] Former three-times
Wimbledon champion
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will now spend two and a half years...
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[reporter 3] He has gone straight to jail.
Yeah. An incredible story.
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[Tiriac] Boris Becker in prison.
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I don't know if I may say in English,
shit happens all over.
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It happened to him again.
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But I bet anything you like
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he's going to come out
with a lesson learned
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and he's going to be the same German
that he was before.
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[interviewer] Wandsworth Prison
is a hard place to do time.
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Drugs and violence among
hardened criminals are commonplace.
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While Boris only stayed a few weeks
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before he was transferred
to a prison for foreign nationals,
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he grappled with a hard irony
during his stay at Wandsworth.
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It sits less than three miles from the
site of the champion's greatest glories.
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- [tennis volley echoes]
- [crowd applauds]
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[commentator 1] That's it. He's done it.
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[commentator 2] A championship to Becker.
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{\an8}["Boom Boom" playing]
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{\an8}[crowd cheering]
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{\an8}[commentator 3] Match point for Becker!
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[crowd gasps, cheers]
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[commentator 4] I don't believe it.
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{\an8}[crowd groans, applauds]
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{\an8}[shouts in German]
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[scattered applause]
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{\an8}[no audible dialogue]
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{\an8}["Boom Boom" continues playing]
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[crowd cheering]
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{\an8}[camera shutters clicking]
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{\an8}[crowd cheering]
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[shouts]
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[Becker] '91, I've just had
the best three years of my life behind me.
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But I was so not in peace.
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Um, I get in my rented house in Wimbledon
and I'm-- I'm becoming sad.
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[stammers]
I'm contemplating for the first time...
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[clicks tongue] ...to retire from tennis.
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All sorts of thoughts
creeping through my mind
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are saying, you know, "We're 25."
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My hero was Björn Borg.
That was reflective of Borg's career...
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[grunts]
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[crowd gasps, cheers]
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{\an8}[announcer] Game, set,
and championship, McEnroe.
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{\an8}[interviewer] Boris was haunted
by the way Borg had left tennis
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{\an8}at the age of 25.
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After losing to John McEnroe
in the finals of the US Open,
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Borg packed up his rackets,
walked off the court, out of the stadium
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and straight into retirement,
leaving his rivals in shock.
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[announcer] The runner-up, Björn Borg,
is truly a great champion.
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We are sorry he is unable to be here
to receive the runner-up award, wit--
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[crowd booing]
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[McEnroe] I want to, uh,
join in the commiseration for Björn
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'cause I think he is a great champion,
and, uh...
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[crowd applauds]
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[interviewer] He said after that one
he was mentally tired.
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{\an8}I guess he was, you know,
as it turned out.
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{\an8}You know, it was too bad.
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I cannot pour, uh, put all the effort
into the game anymore.
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I did it for so many years and, uh,
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it's difficult for me to go out and
practice now, like, four hours every day.
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So, I will continue
to play tennis for fun,
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but I'm never gonna, uh, come back
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and, uh, you know, try, say,
to be the number one player again.
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{\an8}[Borg] I was still doing well, um,
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{\an8}but I had a issue.
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{\an8}I had a problem with my-- with my mind.
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"Is it fun?" Uh, no, it's not fun.
Tennis is not fun anymore.
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[Becker, in German]
This is where it all started.
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That's...
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the way my emotions are running high here.
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Now I am thinking about
what happens if I don't make it this year?
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The fear of failing.
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And then it depends who I'd lose against.
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If I lose against Stefan, it's okay.
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Against Lendl, it would be a catastrophe.
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If a jerk beats you, that feels like shit.
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[in English] Jesus Christ,
that wasn't even close of being out!
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Ah, come on!
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[crowd chattering]
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[court announcer] Love-15.
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[Stich]
He was watching the whole time to him.
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- [speaks indistinctly]
- He was walking-- You were watching him.
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- [referee chatters, indistinct]
- Oh, shut up.
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{\an8}[Stich] Coming into Wimbledon
I think I was number 7 in the world.
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{\an8}I think I was seeded sixth.
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So I knew I--
You know, I was good on grass.
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I enjoyed the surface.
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I-I enjoyed playing that style,
uh, on-on grass.
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[commentator 1] So the champion,
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facing now four match points.
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[grunts]
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- [commentator 2] Game, set, match.
- [exclaims]
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[interviewer]
In 1991, the opponent for Boris
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in the Wimbledon final was Michael Stich.
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Unlike Borg,
Boris wanted to retire after a victory,
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and what better than a win
over a rising star from Germany.
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The English newspapers,
obviously they really picked on that,
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the first all-German finals at Wimbledon.
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On the one hand,
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the champion that was
basically saying it's his living area.
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And then the young German kid
all of a sudden being in the finals.
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As Boris was the first one
winning the Wimbledon, was 17,
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he was the big hero.
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I'm back to number one,
I'm about to win my-my fourth Wimbledon.
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Saturday night, I'm supposed to
concentrate, I started crying.
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I said, "I know myself."
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I said,
"If I beat Michael Stich, I will retire."
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I've proven a point.
I'm one of the best players of all time.
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End of story. It's good.
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If I win, I will retire on the spot.
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{\an8}[crowd cheers, applauds]
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[interviewer] Did you have a strategy
going into that finals match
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for-- for how you were going
to play Boris?
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Winning. [laughs]
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I'm playing to win.
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And I'm not playing not to lose.
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[grunts]
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[crowd cheers, applauds]
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[announcer]
Game, first set, Stich, six games to four.
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[Becker] I was the clear favorite and I,
you know, was probably the better player,
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but I was, instinctively,
I was scared of that moment.
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And it was my instincts
just being so uncomfortable
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in the situation.
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[announcer] Game, second set,
Stich, seven games to six.
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- [Stich] After I won the second set...
- [shouts]
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...in that breaker,
he was realizing that it's a long way now
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to come back and win that final.
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And he started, uh, moaning and-- and, uh,
let's use the word whining a little bit.
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And obviously that lifts your spirits
as well.
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- [line umpire] Out!
- [crowd gasps, chattering]
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[Becker mutters in German]
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[speaking German]
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[Becker, in English]
I've never behaved so embarrassingly
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as I did in that Wimbledon final,
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in front of 800 million people
or a billion people.
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[crowd cheers]
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Fuck!
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[Becker]
I was the number one player in the world.
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And I was just-just-just
a terrible example of a sportsman.
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[muttering in German]
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[Stich, in English] We got to match point.
Boris was serving.
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And I was very sure at that time
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that he was going to serve
to my weakness, to my forehand.
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[commentator] Oh, and he's done it.
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[Becker] Michael was happy. [chuckles]
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And I went to the locker room
and I was happy
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'cause I didn't stop.
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I said... [exhales]
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..."Motherfucker, I almost-- [chuckles]
I almost stopped, I almost stopped!"
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You know, Michael went on
and, you know, celebrated
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and in Germany we had
a second Wimbledon champion,
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but I was-- I was good.
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But what I needed, um, was...
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I-I need to find a woman.
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I need to f-- I need to--
I mean, I love tennis,
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but when I come home
there's-- there's something missing.
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I want to-- I want to start a family.
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I'm having dinner with some friends
and then Barbara walks in the restaurant.
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And I look at her and I go, "Hmm."
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I tell her, "Listen, it may sound cocky,
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but I don't think we have to
talk much anymore.
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I think you're gonna be my wife."
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Swear to God.
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{\an8}He said it that night, yeah,
but he didn't say it to me,
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{\an8}- he said to a friend of mine.
- [interviewer] Ah.
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{\an8}Uh, he-- But he said
the historic sentences
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that I have not heard after or before
where he said... [speaking German]
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...which means, "Are we going to your place
or are we going to my place?"
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And I'm like, "I just met you.
I can't go with you anywhere." [chuckles]
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We were walking into this bar
and everybody was staring at us.
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A lot of talk and pointing,
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and I understood why he would say,
"Are we going to your place
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or are we going to my place?"
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It was not so much of a seduction
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but more of, like,
a protecting me, you know.
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I was not really planning much, you know.
I was falling in love.
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That was it. I didn't think...
[chuckles] ...you know,
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what would that mean in the future
or what is future at that point?
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You know, you just live in the moment
and you think that's your life.
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[interviewer] Boris in Germany
at that time must have been hugely famous.
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[Barbara] He parted the water, yes.
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He had that... that glow,
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that atmospheric energy of
changing the room
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and making it lighter and brighter.
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He was very good at it, you know,
understanding the press.
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He was very suspicious,
he was very protective.
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But, you know, for the hero,
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the blond, blue-eyed German,
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to pick a-a Black woman as his-- his wife
was a big deal.
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You know, I fell in love with a--
with a Black woman in Munich, period.
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I'm color-blind. I didn't see
that she was darker than me.
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I just fell in love with the woman.
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And some of the things that I heard,
uh, about my wife
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or some of the things that she heard,
you just can't believe it.
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[Barbara] In the German press at the
beginning, people got caught off-guard.
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It was very much a Black and white thing.
Go back to where you came from.
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You know, racism, you cannot change it.
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And I knew racism before.
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It's like a smell in the room,
you know, you smell it.
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That you are, um, part of it, but not--
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You can't sit at the table, you know.
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You can be an arm length, you know.
That's how it is, you know.
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Everybody has one Black friend.
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But will your daughter marry this friend,
you know?
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This is a different, you know,
personal space.
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[reporter, in German] Boris Becker
is coming to Hamburg's Rothenbaum
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for morning training,
always with his bodyguards.
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Since the tennis star and his family
were threatened,
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security forces have been on alert.
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[in German] Unfortunately,
ten years ago it was more comfortable,
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but it has now become normal for all of us
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and we are living with the problem.
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[Becker, in English] I look very German,
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but my taste of-of life
is not German at all.
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We talked about racism
in the mid-90s in Germany.
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Shame on you.
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We put the fingers on them.
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{\an8}We've had a couple of interviews
and we did one cover
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{\an8}where we were both nude.
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Within a few weeks we became
the golden couple
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of how a truly interracial relationship
works wonders in Germany.
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So, maybe it was a lie,
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but at least everybody started
to respect us a little bit.
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[Barbara] The shift of the German press,
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I think it happened by him
just standing in front of me
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and just by us being indivisible.
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And it became a normality.
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And they adjusted pretty fast, I think,
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00:15:45,822 --> 00:15:49,659
to the idea that this is it,
she's not leaving. [chuckles]
232
00:15:50,493 --> 00:15:52,704
And then they embraced me.
233
00:15:53,872 --> 00:15:56,750
[in German] Boris Becker
and Barbara Feltus did indeed
234
00:15:56,750 --> 00:15:58,084
say yes to each other today.
235
00:15:58,084 --> 00:16:02,130
Reporters and onlookers had
to endure the whole afternoon,
236
00:16:02,130 --> 00:16:04,633
then the couple of the year
finally came along.
237
00:16:05,675 --> 00:16:08,011
[reporter, in English] Hundreds of folks
crowded outside town hall today
238
00:16:08,011 --> 00:16:12,057
just get a glimpse of the couple.
They are expecting a child next month.
239
00:16:13,516 --> 00:16:15,310
[Barbara] The marriage was a big deal.
240
00:16:15,936 --> 00:16:17,354
I was pregnant.
241
00:16:18,271 --> 00:16:20,398
There was a lot of media attention
242
00:16:20,398 --> 00:16:23,443
and there was one photographer
dressed like a server.
243
00:16:24,361 --> 00:16:26,446
Paparazzi were trying to bribe friends.
244
00:16:27,489 --> 00:16:31,701
[in German] Whether it's Boom Boom Baby
or Babs or something else,
245
00:16:31,701 --> 00:16:34,246
the name of the child of Boris Becker
and Barbara Feltus,
246
00:16:34,246 --> 00:16:37,499
that's something they both
don't want to reveal yet.
247
00:16:38,333 --> 00:16:40,919
[Barbara, in English] We had people
sleeping in front of the house.
248
00:16:40,919 --> 00:16:43,713
I brought out coffee for the paparazzi
in the morning.
249
00:16:44,339 --> 00:16:46,174
I was like, "What are you doing
right in front of--
250
00:16:46,174 --> 00:16:47,926
I'm not gonna have the baby
on the street."
251
00:16:50,971 --> 00:16:52,764
We had a private hospital.
252
00:16:52,764 --> 00:16:57,143
People were looking like nurses
and were trying to come into the room.
253
00:16:58,019 --> 00:17:00,689
- [paparazzo, in German] For Ms. Feltus.
- I'm afraid I'm not allowed to.
254
00:17:00,689 --> 00:17:01,731
- [paparazzo] Can't you?
- No.
255
00:17:01,731 --> 00:17:03,483
[paparazzo]
Then could you show where you're going?
256
00:17:03,483 --> 00:17:06,820
No. Please take a good look and leave.
257
00:17:06,820 --> 00:17:08,405
I'm sorry.
258
00:17:09,363 --> 00:17:10,991
[paparazzi chattering]
259
00:17:14,202 --> 00:17:17,122
I just wanted to inform you that
260
00:17:17,122 --> 00:17:22,127
our son was born,
and wife and child are well.
261
00:17:22,127 --> 00:17:27,507
{\an8}It was a very short birth
and the child weighs seven pounds.
262
00:17:27,507 --> 00:17:30,093
[in English] Yeah, it was a big topic too,
to see the first--
263
00:17:30,093 --> 00:17:31,428
How would he look, you know?
264
00:17:31,428 --> 00:17:32,804
How was...
265
00:17:32,804 --> 00:17:35,932
And then he came out so perfect.
It was brilliant.
266
00:17:35,932 --> 00:17:39,352
[in German] With us, the photographer
and grandfather, Ross Feltus.
267
00:17:39,352 --> 00:17:43,732
{\an8}Yeah, it's a hell of a thing
268
00:17:43,732 --> 00:17:47,110
{\an8}to be a grandfather.
269
00:17:47,110 --> 00:17:50,113
This morning I was happy
that we were allowed to come here.
270
00:17:50,113 --> 00:17:52,490
[host] We are all happy and
the audience too, of course.
271
00:17:52,490 --> 00:17:56,995
And of course we also want to take a look
at a few pictures that you took.
272
00:17:59,372 --> 00:18:01,666
[Barbara, in English]
He wanted to stop when he met me,
273
00:18:01,666 --> 00:18:04,628
and I don't want to say
I persuaded him to play it again
274
00:18:04,628 --> 00:18:07,339
but he said he would do it
if I would come with him.
275
00:18:07,339 --> 00:18:10,133
And then we played a couple more years.
We--
276
00:18:10,759 --> 00:18:13,220
[stammers] Especially me. [laughs]
277
00:18:13,220 --> 00:18:14,971
[interviewer] But, I mean, you were--
you were on the...
278
00:18:14,971 --> 00:18:16,640
- On the team.
- ...on the tour, you were on the team.
279
00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:18,934
On the tour for sure,
but also on the team, yeah.
280
00:18:20,310 --> 00:18:22,979
I was really helping the push,
281
00:18:22,979 --> 00:18:26,733
but I had so much admiration
for the actual deed.
282
00:18:26,733 --> 00:18:29,653
You know,
the going out and doing and winning.
283
00:18:31,655 --> 00:18:33,531
[crowd cheering]
284
00:18:40,413 --> 00:18:45,043
[Barbara]
We watched him doing, like, miracles.
285
00:18:47,087 --> 00:18:48,046
[crowd cheering]
286
00:18:48,046 --> 00:18:50,173
[announcer speaking German]
287
00:19:08,316 --> 00:19:10,360
[Barbara, in English] It fell into
what I loved to do, you know,
288
00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:11,820
work in a team,
289
00:19:11,820 --> 00:19:15,949
and see it succeed, you know,
see it flourish.
290
00:19:20,579 --> 00:19:22,747
Tiriac was there at the beginning.
291
00:19:23,373 --> 00:19:25,208
I loved when he was there.
292
00:19:25,208 --> 00:19:28,628
He was a good protector, a good shield,
and I liked it.
293
00:19:28,628 --> 00:19:34,467
But, um, you know, he wasn't managing me,
so it was not my choice to change.
294
00:19:44,978 --> 00:19:46,813
When that shift happened,
295
00:19:46,813 --> 00:19:49,691
it was like a little bit of an insecurity
for all of us.
296
00:19:50,609 --> 00:19:54,029
[Tiriac] We split because
we had our differences.
297
00:19:54,029 --> 00:19:57,949
{\an8}I'm the-the only one
that I was against him.
298
00:19:58,700 --> 00:20:02,537
{\an8}"Ion, everybody say to help me, you say
something different. You are against me."
299
00:20:02,537 --> 00:20:06,374
{\an8}I said, "No. You don't understand.
I don't need you.
300
00:20:07,584 --> 00:20:09,586
And probably you don't need me.
301
00:20:10,170 --> 00:20:11,379
All the others are petting you.
302
00:20:11,379 --> 00:20:13,089
'Boris, you're big.'
'Boris, you're great.'
303
00:20:13,089 --> 00:20:14,883
'Boris, you're this. Boris, you're that.'
304
00:20:14,883 --> 00:20:17,344
And on top of it you have money as well.
305
00:20:17,928 --> 00:20:20,889
So be careful. I don't need you."
306
00:20:20,889 --> 00:20:25,268
And that's-- We shake our hand,
we drink a beer that night when we split.
307
00:20:26,019 --> 00:20:31,024
And the new people that he had
were completely different than I was.
308
00:20:31,524 --> 00:20:34,653
The player is only as good
as the people around him.
309
00:20:37,948 --> 00:20:40,075
[Becker] The right people,
they can bring you to heaven.
310
00:20:40,075 --> 00:20:41,743
The wrong people bring you to hell.
311
00:20:43,161 --> 00:20:44,871
[camera shutters clicking]
312
00:20:51,795 --> 00:20:58,009
[in German] The public prosecutor's office
is satisfied that the defendant confessed.
313
00:20:58,885 --> 00:21:01,888
[reporters chattering in German]
314
00:21:03,265 --> 00:21:04,724
[interviewer, in English]
After he parted with Tiriac,
315
00:21:04,724 --> 00:21:08,812
Boris was buffeted by a series of lawsuits
and criminal investigations.
316
00:21:10,021 --> 00:21:12,899
After pleading guilty to
tax evasion in Germany,
317
00:21:12,899 --> 00:21:16,570
Boris decided to put his trust
in the hands of a new business partner,
318
00:21:16,570 --> 00:21:18,113
Hans-Dieter Cleven.
319
00:21:19,281 --> 00:21:22,534
A devoted fan, Cleven had helped Boris
pay his tax settlement
320
00:21:22,534 --> 00:21:24,244
with the German government.
321
00:21:24,244 --> 00:21:28,331
And he persuaded Boris to move
to business-friendly Switzerland,
322
00:21:28,331 --> 00:21:30,792
where Cleven set up a series of
joint ventures
323
00:21:30,792 --> 00:21:32,919
to market Boris as a brand.
324
00:21:35,046 --> 00:21:36,882
Following Boris' retirement,
325
00:21:36,882 --> 00:21:39,175
Cleven became a trusted confidant
326
00:21:39,175 --> 00:21:42,345
who advanced Becker money
against their future profits
327
00:21:42,345 --> 00:21:45,015
so that Boris could
take some swings at investing.
328
00:21:46,349 --> 00:21:51,021
{\an8}A website, Sportgate, wound up in court
and went bankrupt after just a year.
329
00:21:52,689 --> 00:21:56,109
He hawked organic food
and athletic bandages.
330
00:21:57,068 --> 00:22:00,488
Boris Becker Marketing
failed to attract clients and fizzled.
331
00:22:02,365 --> 00:22:05,452
{\an8}With tax credits, he made money
on Mercedes dealerships
332
00:22:05,452 --> 00:22:06,786
{\an8}from East Germany.
333
00:22:09,372 --> 00:22:11,917
Boris seemed to do best
when he stayed close to sports.
334
00:22:13,168 --> 00:22:16,713
Together Cleven and Boris owned
equal shares in Völkl Tennis.
335
00:22:18,131 --> 00:22:21,176
{\an8}But when he signed on to front
for an online poker company,
336
00:22:21,176 --> 00:22:22,636
{\an8}it wasn't a good look.
337
00:22:24,471 --> 00:22:28,266
{\an8}Boris was gambling his tennis winnings
on a series of bad hands.
338
00:22:32,562 --> 00:22:35,815
{\an8}After my career,
of course I want to have a good living
339
00:22:35,815 --> 00:22:41,071
but earning money, as 99% people
are doing every single day,
340
00:22:41,071 --> 00:22:42,614
was not my motivation.
341
00:22:43,323 --> 00:22:44,741
It starts from the beginning.
342
00:22:44,741 --> 00:22:49,246
By 17 years old I won my first million,
so money goes out of the window.
343
00:22:49,246 --> 00:22:52,582
You lose the sense of value.
You don't know what a million is.
344
00:22:52,582 --> 00:22:55,794
You don't know that 99% of people
would never earn a million.
345
00:22:56,586 --> 00:23:00,090
The driving motor for my
professional career was never money,
346
00:23:00,090 --> 00:23:01,841
it was winning titles.
347
00:23:01,841 --> 00:23:05,095
It was becoming the best player
in the world, becoming number one.
348
00:23:05,095 --> 00:23:07,138
That's why I wanted to play.
349
00:23:07,138 --> 00:23:08,723
[phone ringing]
350
00:23:13,019 --> 00:23:14,604
[McEnroe] I think it was '93.
351
00:23:14,604 --> 00:23:17,232
Boris called me and said,
"Listen, could you coach me
352
00:23:17,232 --> 00:23:18,984
for Wimbledon and the US Open?"
353
00:23:18,984 --> 00:23:20,360
I'm like, "Okay."
354
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:23,572
When I paid for my ticket to Montreal,
I mean--
355
00:23:23,572 --> 00:23:26,116
- I've lost money coaching him.
- [interviewer laughing]
356
00:23:26,116 --> 00:23:29,327
I'm still waiting for my-- the receipt
for my, you know, plane ticket.
357
00:23:30,662 --> 00:23:33,331
Boris had obviously
not been training too hard.
358
00:23:33,331 --> 00:23:35,250
He just wasn't ready to go yet.
359
00:23:35,834 --> 00:23:38,795
I go, "Boris, listen, um, maybe we should
go play some matches,
360
00:23:38,795 --> 00:23:40,922
let's get you back in shape."
"All right, let's do that."
361
00:23:40,922 --> 00:23:41,923
[beeping]
362
00:23:41,923 --> 00:23:45,010
[McEnroe] I'm calling now
the tournament director at LA.
363
00:23:45,594 --> 00:23:48,638
You know, "How much can you give me
if Boris takes a wild card?"
364
00:23:49,222 --> 00:23:52,350
Call Boris, saying,
"Hey, listen, this is what they got."
365
00:23:53,143 --> 00:23:54,144
"All right. Let's do it."
366
00:23:54,895 --> 00:23:56,104
Called the guy.
367
00:23:56,104 --> 00:23:57,480
"All right, he's gonna do it."
368
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,401
Just soon afterwards, Bor--
"I'm not gonna do it."
369
00:24:01,401 --> 00:24:02,736
[Barbara speaking indistinctly]
370
00:24:02,736 --> 00:24:04,487
[McEnroe] He has Barbara call me.
371
00:24:04,487 --> 00:24:06,698
Barbara says,
"Oh, he's gonna play Indianapolis.
372
00:24:06,698 --> 00:24:08,158
He's taking a wild card there."
373
00:24:08,158 --> 00:24:10,869
I go, "Indianapolis? Okay."
374
00:24:10,869 --> 00:24:14,247
"He-- Look, you know, he wants you
to be there" and blah, blah, blah.
375
00:24:14,247 --> 00:24:15,957
I go-- I go, "Barbara, listen.
376
00:24:17,375 --> 00:24:19,669
If he wants me to be there
have him call me,
377
00:24:19,669 --> 00:24:21,004
- okay? That's--"
- [interviewer chuckling]
378
00:24:21,004 --> 00:24:23,340
"That's all he has to do." Didn't call me.
379
00:24:23,965 --> 00:24:25,467
You know, I had my own problems.
380
00:24:25,467 --> 00:24:28,220
I was going through this terrible divorce.
381
00:24:28,845 --> 00:24:30,096
I had the kids.
382
00:24:30,096 --> 00:24:31,848
I had rented a place.
383
00:24:33,016 --> 00:24:35,936
I go, "If you want to practice,
come out to the Hamptons."
384
00:24:36,686 --> 00:24:38,104
"Okay. I'm on my way."
385
00:24:39,314 --> 00:24:40,315
Okay.
386
00:24:41,566 --> 00:24:43,360
Two hours later, "I'm not coming."
387
00:24:43,944 --> 00:24:45,820
So I was just like, "Man, good luck."
388
00:24:46,446 --> 00:24:48,531
[chuckles] "You know,
I wish you the best, man."
389
00:24:51,034 --> 00:24:55,163
I was in my mid-20s
and I was looking for a comeback
390
00:24:55,163 --> 00:24:57,874
and I wanted to surround myself
with the best people,
391
00:24:57,874 --> 00:25:01,628
and I believed at the time that Nick was
among the very best coaches in the world.
392
00:25:01,628 --> 00:25:04,339
Looking good, baby. [chuckles]
393
00:25:04,339 --> 00:25:06,466
[Barbara] What's your next look like?
Where are you going?
394
00:25:06,466 --> 00:25:09,177
[interviewer] We were going up
to see Bollettieri tomorrow.
395
00:25:09,177 --> 00:25:10,470
- Nick?
- [interviewer] Nick.
396
00:25:10,470 --> 00:25:12,305
- Oh, I love him.
- Do you?
397
00:25:12,305 --> 00:25:14,516
What can I give to him?
Do I have anything?
398
00:25:14,516 --> 00:25:16,977
Maybe I can send him a voice note.
399
00:25:16,977 --> 00:25:19,771
{\an8}[Barbara, on recording]
But it's Boris', uh, biography,
400
00:25:19,771 --> 00:25:23,858
{\an8}and I'm so happy you're a part of it
since you've been a part of his life,
401
00:25:23,858 --> 00:25:27,070
{\an8}a big part of his life, and also mine.
402
00:25:27,070 --> 00:25:29,281
And I miss you. Good seeing you soon.
403
00:25:29,281 --> 00:25:31,116
- Bye-bye.
- Isn't that nice.
404
00:25:32,492 --> 00:25:34,578
[Bollettieri] Boris was a different guy.
405
00:25:34,578 --> 00:25:39,749
One of the most unusual, uh, players
that I had in my career.
406
00:25:39,749 --> 00:25:42,627
The big thing I remember about Boris is
407
00:25:42,627 --> 00:25:45,714
he didn't like a lot of chatter
about his game.
408
00:25:45,714 --> 00:25:47,924
And I thought that remark that he made,
409
00:25:47,924 --> 00:25:50,802
"The more you talk,
the more you gotta prove."
410
00:25:51,344 --> 00:25:54,347
And he said, "Most coaches,
they just talk too much."
411
00:25:54,347 --> 00:25:58,351
Then lob in the fact Nick Bollettieri
left Agassi to coach Becker
412
00:25:58,351 --> 00:25:59,769
and now we're cooking.
413
00:25:59,769 --> 00:26:04,190
[Becker] When Agassi split
with Bollettieri, it created big news.
414
00:26:04,190 --> 00:26:07,527
And when I got in contact with Nick,
it created a lot of waves,
415
00:26:07,527 --> 00:26:09,696
I'm sure, amongst the Agassi camp as well.
416
00:26:10,947 --> 00:26:12,073
And I went to Florida.
417
00:26:12,073 --> 00:26:14,576
{\an8}Was coached by Nick's best coaches,
418
00:26:14,576 --> 00:26:18,288
{\an8}a guy called Mike DePalmer
and a guy called Red Ayme.
419
00:26:18,288 --> 00:26:19,414
[whistle blowing]
420
00:26:19,414 --> 00:26:22,083
All you strikers, get the lobs deeper now.
421
00:26:22,083 --> 00:26:25,253
Sidney, close into the net. Close the net.
422
00:26:25,253 --> 00:26:27,422
Freddy, get in there
and finish the points.
423
00:26:28,048 --> 00:26:29,090
Come on!
424
00:26:29,090 --> 00:26:31,176
You got into the net
and you let a ball go.
425
00:26:31,176 --> 00:26:33,428
{\an8}Better, Sidney! That's better.
426
00:26:33,428 --> 00:26:35,513
{\an8}I think when you're a champion like Boris,
427
00:26:35,513 --> 00:26:38,934
{\an8}winning, you win and it becomes a habit.
428
00:26:39,851 --> 00:26:42,312
Losing sometimes also can be a habit.
429
00:26:43,897 --> 00:26:45,899
Boris rededicated himself.
430
00:26:47,025 --> 00:26:49,444
The mental toughness that he showed,
431
00:26:49,444 --> 00:26:52,822
it's really unheard of
for a person later in his career.
432
00:26:53,740 --> 00:26:56,159
Getting himself in unbelievable condition.
433
00:26:56,159 --> 00:26:58,954
He lost 12 kilos, 20 pounds or so.
434
00:26:58,954 --> 00:27:03,124
And when he returned to the circuit,
he was very light and fit.
435
00:27:03,124 --> 00:27:05,835
Oh, yeah. He had been a little fatty
here and there, baby.
436
00:27:05,835 --> 00:27:07,546
There's no question about it.
437
00:27:07,546 --> 00:27:09,381
And, uh, we got rid of that.
438
00:27:10,674 --> 00:27:15,887
I don't think I really made
a big impact on his game.
439
00:27:15,887 --> 00:27:22,310
But I think Boris, he lost a little bit
of who he was and felt.
440
00:27:22,936 --> 00:27:25,522
And I believe that
whatever success I've had
441
00:27:26,022 --> 00:27:28,650
is to make a person feel they're a winner.
442
00:27:28,650 --> 00:27:30,277
Baby, when you're with me,
443
00:27:31,403 --> 00:27:33,613
I'm gonna help you be the best you can be.
444
00:27:36,283 --> 00:27:39,661
[Becker] What Nick Bollettieri stood for
was good for me.
445
00:27:40,745 --> 00:27:43,665
It was simplifying it,
and it was about winning.
446
00:27:44,583 --> 00:27:48,336
And so that was a very, very good period
where I was hungry,
447
00:27:48,336 --> 00:27:50,964
I started to feel something again.
448
00:27:50,964 --> 00:27:53,800
There's something left in me
that I wanted to show.
449
00:27:55,719 --> 00:27:56,970
[Barbara] This was very new to me,
450
00:27:56,970 --> 00:28:00,265
that you could actually
manifest something through work.
451
00:28:01,641 --> 00:28:05,145
This was fascinating to watch,
how he could, um,
452
00:28:05,812 --> 00:28:08,857
take an idea... [stammers]
...and materialize it.
453
00:28:21,870 --> 00:28:24,122
[crowd chattering]
454
00:28:28,376 --> 00:28:30,503
[crowd whistles, cheers]
455
00:28:33,506 --> 00:28:35,759
[Barbara] People said,
"Oh, you lived here or there."
456
00:28:35,759 --> 00:28:37,385
We didn't really live anywhere, you know.
457
00:28:37,385 --> 00:28:42,307
We lived on the airplanes
and in the hotels, you know.
458
00:28:43,683 --> 00:28:47,896
I mean, I have a garden now, you know,
like, with herbs and bananas.
459
00:28:50,899 --> 00:28:52,359
We never got to make a garden.
460
00:28:57,155 --> 00:28:58,365
I see it as running.
461
00:28:59,157 --> 00:29:03,078
Like, running through the days,
through the years almost.
462
00:29:03,578 --> 00:29:04,579
Very rushed.
463
00:29:06,790 --> 00:29:07,791
Feeling...
464
00:29:10,585 --> 00:29:11,711
Feeling rushed.
465
00:29:13,755 --> 00:29:15,549
It was emotional, you know.
466
00:29:15,549 --> 00:29:19,177
A lot of ups and a lot of-- whoo-- downs.
467
00:29:19,177 --> 00:29:22,514
It was like a ride, a big, big fast ride.
That's how I feel.
468
00:29:22,514 --> 00:29:24,599
- A fast ride. [chuckles]
- [interviewer] Right.
469
00:29:26,268 --> 00:29:31,022
But a good ride, like an, um,
an adventure, you know?
470
00:29:31,022 --> 00:29:33,942
Like a big adventure, and, um,
471
00:29:34,651 --> 00:29:36,319
I would not want to miss one day.
472
00:29:42,409 --> 00:29:44,619
{\an8}[commentator] The stakes
couldn't be higher for Becker.
473
00:29:45,453 --> 00:29:47,622
Facing the world number one Pete Sampras.
474
00:29:58,842 --> 00:29:59,968
[crowd gasps]
475
00:30:02,012 --> 00:30:03,305
[crowd cheers]
476
00:30:04,723 --> 00:30:07,142
{\an8}[crowd cheering, applauding]
477
00:30:08,685 --> 00:30:11,104
{\an8}[Sampras] You know,
whenever I play Boris in Germany
478
00:30:11,104 --> 00:30:12,439
{\an8}it's very, very difficult to beat him.
479
00:30:12,439 --> 00:30:15,650
And, uh, he's got 9,000 fans
screaming for him.
480
00:30:15,650 --> 00:30:16,943
Makes it, uh, very difficult.
481
00:30:19,654 --> 00:30:21,197
{\an8}[Barbara] We'd get invited everywhere
482
00:30:21,197 --> 00:30:25,076
{\an8}and, you know, you have to show up
to collect the points and the money,
483
00:30:25,076 --> 00:30:26,870
{\an8}and it's a-- it's a job.
484
00:30:29,831 --> 00:30:32,918
{\an8}[Becker] The longevity in a tennis career
is the toughest task.
485
00:30:32,918 --> 00:30:36,004
When you reach your mid-20s
you're still powerful.
486
00:30:36,588 --> 00:30:39,007
But your competitors are more powerful.
487
00:30:39,007 --> 00:30:40,550
So how can you beat them?
488
00:30:40,550 --> 00:30:43,136
My biggest strength was always my power.
489
00:30:43,136 --> 00:30:46,932
Then in the second half of my career,
my biggest strength became my mind.
490
00:30:50,185 --> 00:30:54,314
Gamesmanship and starting to read
the opponent became my biggest asset.
491
00:30:57,275 --> 00:30:58,944
{\an8}[Stich] I was a very emotional player.
492
00:30:58,944 --> 00:31:01,863
When I was, let's say,
stable and feeling good,
493
00:31:01,863 --> 00:31:03,198
I played my best tennis.
494
00:31:03,198 --> 00:31:06,868
When something rattled or unsettled me,
it affected my tennis.
495
00:31:07,702 --> 00:31:10,121
I beat him in Wimbledon in '91.
496
00:31:10,830 --> 00:31:13,875
Two years later,
I was feeling great about my game
497
00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:15,835
and I went to Wimbledon and thought,
498
00:31:16,461 --> 00:31:19,214
there's no one else
who's gonna win the title but me.
499
00:31:19,214 --> 00:31:22,259
[crowd cheers, applauds]
500
00:31:22,259 --> 00:31:24,177
It was a really tough five-setter.
501
00:31:28,890 --> 00:31:31,059
[crowd cheering]
502
00:31:31,059 --> 00:31:34,020
[Stich] And in the fifth set,
I had break point against me.
503
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:38,441
[line umpire] Fault!
504
00:31:43,321 --> 00:31:45,490
[Stich] I was ready to serve
the second serve.
505
00:31:46,324 --> 00:31:50,954
Boris just, uh, took up his hand
as if he was not ready to return.
506
00:31:57,127 --> 00:31:59,713
[interviewer] And do you think that was
intentional, to try to destabilize you?
507
00:31:59,713 --> 00:32:00,797
Yes.
508
00:32:09,389 --> 00:32:11,516
- [line umpire] Fault.
- [commentator] A double fault again.
509
00:32:11,516 --> 00:32:13,643
[crowd cheering]
510
00:32:13,643 --> 00:32:15,103
Basically, that decided the match.
511
00:32:16,104 --> 00:32:17,397
We had to change ends,
512
00:32:17,397 --> 00:32:20,108
and I said something to him
which was not very nice.
513
00:32:23,737 --> 00:32:25,739
[interviewer] You think you can tell us
what you said to Boris--
514
00:32:25,739 --> 00:32:26,823
No.
515
00:32:26,823 --> 00:32:29,284
Ask him if he still remembers.
[inhales sharply]
516
00:32:29,284 --> 00:32:32,746
I don't remember. I mean, again,
I was probably in my zone.
517
00:32:32,746 --> 00:32:35,707
He could have said whatever he wanted
to say, it wouldn't have rattled me.
518
00:32:40,795 --> 00:32:43,089
{\an8}[Stich]
I didn't think it was very sportsmanlike,
519
00:32:43,089 --> 00:32:48,094
but, you know, on the one hand
it's maybe not fair, in a way.
520
00:32:48,094 --> 00:32:52,724
But on the other hand, it's my fault
that I dealt with it in the wrong way.
521
00:32:52,724 --> 00:32:54,726
[interviewer] But it still pissed you off.
522
00:32:54,726 --> 00:32:57,312
Uh, it still does up to the day. [sighs]
523
00:32:57,312 --> 00:32:58,897
[laughing]
524
00:32:58,897 --> 00:33:01,566
Interesting that 30 years later
he would remember.
525
00:33:01,566 --> 00:33:06,655
If he was bothered that I turned around
and he served a double fault, so be it.
526
00:33:07,239 --> 00:33:08,823
He was a pretty tough dude.
527
00:33:09,324 --> 00:33:13,078
I mean, there wasn't too much smiles
or "Good shot."
528
00:33:13,078 --> 00:33:14,704
It was all business.
529
00:33:20,544 --> 00:33:22,879
[Becker] You know, Nick made me stronger.
530
00:33:23,463 --> 00:33:26,341
Agassi and Bollettieri
had a very public breakup,
531
00:33:26,341 --> 00:33:31,012
and so, obviously, sooner or later
I had to play against Agassi.
532
00:33:31,596 --> 00:33:33,640
He had one of the best returns
of all time.
533
00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,935
My strength, my serve,
was always playing into his hands.
534
00:33:42,524 --> 00:33:43,775
[crowd gasps, cheering]
535
00:33:46,945 --> 00:33:48,780
[crowd gasps, cheering]
536
00:33:48,780 --> 00:33:51,116
[commentator] I think, honestly,
he's playing as well as he's able.
537
00:33:51,116 --> 00:33:56,079
But, really, against an Agassi
in this form, well, it must be terrifying.
538
00:34:00,750 --> 00:34:03,837
[Becker] So, we're playing
pretty late in my career.
539
00:34:06,506 --> 00:34:11,010
{\an8}And he was better and he was younger,
and he just-- he started toying with me.
540
00:34:13,305 --> 00:34:14,556
[crowd gasps]
541
00:34:16,892 --> 00:34:18,059
[court announcer] Love-15.
542
00:34:19,311 --> 00:34:22,355
[Gilbert] I started coaching Andre in '94,
543
00:34:22,355 --> 00:34:25,525
and, you know, Nick was obviously
coaching Boris at that time.
544
00:34:25,525 --> 00:34:30,363
{\an8}Andre had spent a lot of years with him,
so maybe he was pissed about something.
545
00:34:30,363 --> 00:34:36,327
{\an8}I threw my tactics, the way I played
Boris, completely out the window.
546
00:34:36,327 --> 00:34:38,872
Okay, here's a guy I've, you know,
played umpteen times,
547
00:34:38,872 --> 00:34:41,541
but now Andre plays him totally different.
548
00:34:42,083 --> 00:34:43,668
- [commentator] Oh.
- [court announcer] Game, Agassi.
549
00:34:44,836 --> 00:34:48,632
Boris' strengths were his serve
550
00:34:48,632 --> 00:34:51,718
and his ability to play one-strike tennis.
551
00:34:51,718 --> 00:34:54,971
So, get the point, start it in your favor.
552
00:34:54,971 --> 00:34:58,767
Don't let Boris get in a pattern
that he was comfortable with.
553
00:35:02,854 --> 00:35:07,609
And Andre was absolutely
taking Boris to the woodshed
554
00:35:07,609 --> 00:35:12,280
and was literally probably putting
the worst beatdown on Boris' career,
555
00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,783
on any surface, let alone grass.
556
00:35:14,783 --> 00:35:17,827
He won, I don't know, 6-1 the first set.
557
00:35:17,827 --> 00:35:20,372
He's up 4-1,
he's just laughing and giggling
558
00:35:20,372 --> 00:35:23,041
and toying with me
on Wimbledon Centre Court,
559
00:35:23,041 --> 00:35:24,209
which I consider my home.
560
00:35:24,209 --> 00:35:26,920
[Barbara]
Every time we, um, got to meet Andre
561
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,548
it was, like, the biggest hurdle,
you know,
562
00:35:29,548 --> 00:35:31,383
because it was so emotional.
563
00:35:31,383 --> 00:35:34,386
It was a big win if we won.
It was a horrible loss if we lost.
564
00:35:34,386 --> 00:35:38,390
He had some crazy, um, abilities
565
00:35:38,390 --> 00:35:40,892
where you would think
he did not get this ball back, right?
566
00:35:48,066 --> 00:35:49,359
[commentator] Oh, brilliant.
567
00:35:49,359 --> 00:35:51,861
[crowd cheering]
568
00:35:51,861 --> 00:35:54,948
[commentator 2] I'm beginning to feel
very, very sorry for Boris Becker.
569
00:35:57,617 --> 00:35:59,786
[Bollettieri]
Everybody thought it was over.
570
00:35:59,786 --> 00:36:01,705
[interviewer] Did you think it was over?
571
00:36:01,705 --> 00:36:02,998
No, I didn't.
572
00:36:03,999 --> 00:36:07,002
- [interviewer] Honestly?
- Honestly I didn't think it was over.
573
00:36:09,004 --> 00:36:12,340
[Becker]
So I was thinking, how can I get him?
574
00:36:12,340 --> 00:36:13,967
He's in a momentum, he's winning.
575
00:36:13,967 --> 00:36:15,719
How can I change it?
576
00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:17,095
[commentator 2] Time.
577
00:36:20,849 --> 00:36:22,893
[crowd cheering, applauding]
578
00:36:24,561 --> 00:36:26,521
[interviewer] Now there was a story,
I have to ask you about it,
579
00:36:26,521 --> 00:36:28,607
just because everybody tells
different versions of the story.
580
00:36:28,607 --> 00:36:30,525
Oh, I probably have
a different version too.
581
00:36:30,525 --> 00:36:31,651
- [laughs]
- [interviewer] Um...
582
00:36:31,651 --> 00:36:36,156
I-I'm not gonna get into
the controversy at Wimbledon.
583
00:36:36,656 --> 00:36:39,576
That moment, it was like one of those
great learning experiences.
584
00:36:39,576 --> 00:36:42,370
No matter what the score is,
don't let your guard down.
585
00:36:42,370 --> 00:36:45,373
I told him a certain thing.
586
00:36:46,833 --> 00:36:50,086
I'd rather not say
exactly what I told him.
587
00:36:50,086 --> 00:36:54,633
All I knew is that
we had to hit a big shot,
588
00:36:54,633 --> 00:36:58,011
let Andre know it and let the box know it,
589
00:36:58,678 --> 00:37:00,472
"I've got your number, baby."
590
00:37:17,072 --> 00:37:18,990
[commentator] Well played.
591
00:37:18,990 --> 00:37:20,825
[crowd cheering]
592
00:37:26,623 --> 00:37:28,375
[Bollettieri] Andre was soft.
593
00:37:28,375 --> 00:37:30,961
Things got to him though.
594
00:37:30,961 --> 00:37:33,380
[Becker] At the time he was
engaged to Brooke Shields.
595
00:37:33,380 --> 00:37:39,094
I made some, I think, charming comments
to-to his fiancée and to the box,
596
00:37:39,094 --> 00:37:42,430
and I-- I made this whole thing
as a theater play.
597
00:37:42,430 --> 00:37:43,765
Agassi reacted.
598
00:37:44,391 --> 00:37:46,142
[interviewer] As Boris tells the story,
599
00:37:46,142 --> 00:37:50,772
he claimed that he was kind of, like,
playfully waving or something with Brooke
600
00:37:50,772 --> 00:37:52,941
in ways that destabilized Andre.
601
00:37:52,941 --> 00:37:54,776
You ever heard that story before?
602
00:37:55,944 --> 00:37:59,906
Never. But, um, I probably would know it
if it's really true. [laughs]
603
00:37:59,906 --> 00:38:02,534
[interviewer] Right, because you were all
sitting in the competitors' boxes.
604
00:38:02,534 --> 00:38:04,286
Maybe I thought he was waving at me.
605
00:38:04,286 --> 00:38:05,996
[interviewer] Boris tried to throw him off
606
00:38:05,996 --> 00:38:07,998
and started, like,
blowing kisses at Brooke.
607
00:38:07,998 --> 00:38:10,083
Do you remember that? Was that...
608
00:38:10,083 --> 00:38:12,335
[stammering]
I-I don't remember it, you know,
609
00:38:12,335 --> 00:38:14,671
but if he said it, you know, he said it.
610
00:38:14,671 --> 00:38:16,506
I could see where that would be irritating
611
00:38:16,506 --> 00:38:19,217
if he's waving to Brooke
or doing some dumb thing like that,
612
00:38:19,217 --> 00:38:20,927
you know,
that could get under Andre's skin.
613
00:38:20,927 --> 00:38:25,098
On the one hand,
if a feather dropped the wrong way
614
00:38:25,098 --> 00:38:26,641
it could destabilize someone.
615
00:38:27,350 --> 00:38:30,312
Even someone as great as Andre Agassi, potentially.
616
00:38:30,854 --> 00:38:33,356
And on the other hand,
you could drop a, you know,
617
00:38:33,356 --> 00:38:37,152
a car from the side of a building
and that wouldn't affect him.
618
00:38:37,152 --> 00:38:39,696
You know, it depends.
What was he going through then?
619
00:38:39,696 --> 00:38:43,909
You know, it turned out his marriage
with Brooke wasn't that successful.
620
00:38:43,909 --> 00:38:45,577
But, I mean, you're out there,
you're competing,
621
00:38:45,577 --> 00:38:47,662
you're doing whatever it takes to win.
622
00:38:48,330 --> 00:38:51,416
["Navajo Joe Main Title" playing]
623
00:39:18,443 --> 00:39:20,946
- [crowd cheering]
- [song continues]
624
00:39:24,866 --> 00:39:26,201
[court announcer] Game, Becker.
625
00:39:50,350 --> 00:39:52,143
[crowd cheers, applauds]
626
00:39:52,143 --> 00:39:54,854
You could see it in his eyes,
and we would look at each other
627
00:39:54,854 --> 00:39:56,856
and said, "Yeah, we can go home now.
He's gonna win this."
628
00:39:56,856 --> 00:39:58,692
[song continues]
629
00:40:04,322 --> 00:40:06,783
[crowd gasps, cheers]
630
00:40:21,256 --> 00:40:23,008
- [court announcer] Game, Becker.
- [exclaims]
631
00:40:37,981 --> 00:40:38,815
[commentator] That's it.
632
00:40:38,815 --> 00:40:40,817
{\an8}[court announcer]
Game, set, and match, Becker.
633
00:40:42,193 --> 00:40:46,907
{\an8}2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6.
634
00:40:56,791 --> 00:41:00,503
Obviously he returned the favor,
because in tennis you always meet twice.
635
00:41:03,131 --> 00:41:05,800
Andre wanted to show
that he has grown as a player
636
00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:09,930
and even Nick Bollettieri
can't teach anybody how to play him.
637
00:41:14,267 --> 00:41:16,770
So, a few weeks later we meet again.
638
00:41:16,770 --> 00:41:19,272
Boy, we didn't like each other.
639
00:41:19,272 --> 00:41:21,399
- [chuckles] Just to say the least.
- [crew member laughs]
640
00:41:22,692 --> 00:41:25,153
That match, he was just untouchable.
641
00:41:29,699 --> 00:41:31,534
[crowd cheers, applauds]
642
00:41:32,827 --> 00:41:34,371
[Becker] I tried the same strategy
643
00:41:34,371 --> 00:41:35,580
- with Brooke...
- Yes!
644
00:41:35,580 --> 00:41:37,332
...and I got involved in his--
in his corner,
645
00:41:37,332 --> 00:41:39,334
but obviously she didn't react the same.
646
00:41:46,091 --> 00:41:47,926
[crowd cheers, applauds]
647
00:41:49,302 --> 00:41:52,847
[Becker] And, just, he was full-on
and he attacked me.
648
00:41:52,847 --> 00:41:54,140
On the tennis court, of course.
649
00:41:58,812 --> 00:42:00,230
[crowd cheers, applauds]
650
00:42:01,106 --> 00:42:04,150
So the point was really, you know,
mix up your game.
651
00:42:04,150 --> 00:42:08,154
If I-- If I play one-dimensional,
serve and volley, first, second serve,
652
00:42:08,154 --> 00:42:11,533
Agassi's gonna give me a whuppin', right?
653
00:42:11,533 --> 00:42:13,493
[chuckling]
And that's exactly what happened.
654
00:42:16,621 --> 00:42:17,664
[crowd cheering]
655
00:42:17,664 --> 00:42:19,624
[court announcer] Game, match, Agassi.
656
00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:23,461
{\an8}Three sets to one.
657
00:42:25,005 --> 00:42:29,217
7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
658
00:42:32,304 --> 00:42:34,723
Well, you know, I'm just bringing
my game at him basically.
659
00:42:34,723 --> 00:42:37,225
I think, uh, you know,
there are definitely game plans
660
00:42:37,225 --> 00:42:38,852
that you don't care to really discuss,
661
00:42:38,852 --> 00:42:41,605
and, uh, by the same token, uh,
more importantly than anything,
662
00:42:41,605 --> 00:42:43,148
I have to be returning well.
663
00:42:43,773 --> 00:42:47,360
[Becker] You want to read
the other server's habits.
664
00:42:48,028 --> 00:42:50,655
Somehow Agassi did read my game very well.
665
00:42:51,281 --> 00:42:53,241
[Gilbert] Boris had this tell.
666
00:42:53,241 --> 00:42:57,746
And in Munich, two and a half months
after he's retired,
667
00:42:57,746 --> 00:43:00,457
we went to the Oktoberfest.
668
00:43:00,457 --> 00:43:03,835
Boris picked us up,
he had a little bit of a buzz,
669
00:43:03,835 --> 00:43:06,504
and Boris asked Andre,
670
00:43:06,504 --> 00:43:10,008
"How did you read my serve so well?"
671
00:43:12,510 --> 00:43:13,803
And Andre stood up,
672
00:43:14,429 --> 00:43:16,932
and he stands up and he does the,
673
00:43:16,932 --> 00:43:19,059
you know, how he did
his whole little routine,
674
00:43:19,059 --> 00:43:24,022
and then he takes his tongue
and he twirls it to the left,
675
00:43:24,022 --> 00:43:28,235
and he goes, "You're serving wide
in the deuce court.
676
00:43:28,235 --> 00:43:30,528
Tongue up the middle,
you're going down the middle."
677
00:43:32,906 --> 00:43:34,866
"Tongue wide in the ad court,
you're going."
678
00:43:37,619 --> 00:43:38,954
[line umpire] Out.
679
00:43:38,954 --> 00:43:40,455
[court announcer] Deuce.
680
00:43:40,455 --> 00:43:42,540
Boris was completely disheveled
681
00:43:42,540 --> 00:43:45,877
by Andre telling him this story
about his tongue.
682
00:43:45,877 --> 00:43:49,172
And then I ask Andre,
"Dude, you never told me that story."
683
00:43:49,172 --> 00:43:52,884
He goes, "If I'd have told you that story,
you would not have believed me."
684
00:43:58,056 --> 00:43:59,808
[crowd gasps, cheering]
685
00:44:01,351 --> 00:44:03,144
[shouts in German]
686
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,400
[Gilbert, in English] After that match
I don't think he ever lost to Boris again.
687
00:44:10,443 --> 00:44:12,988
[Becker] I call a tennis year a dog year.
688
00:44:12,988 --> 00:44:16,199
You have so many emotions,
we travel so much,
689
00:44:16,199 --> 00:44:19,869
so much practice, so many disappointments.
690
00:44:19,869 --> 00:44:22,706
You know, 'cause most tennis players
lose more than they win.
691
00:44:22,706 --> 00:44:25,792
So usually you leave a city
because you're a loser.
692
00:44:27,669 --> 00:44:30,881
[synthesizer music playing]
693
00:44:37,721 --> 00:44:40,390
- [in German] Mr. Boris, welcome!
- Thank you.
694
00:44:40,390 --> 00:44:44,185
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to "Boris Becker in Person."
695
00:44:44,185 --> 00:44:45,478
Two days before Christmas.
696
00:44:46,021 --> 00:44:49,399
Boris, if I might play
Christmas Angel for you again,
697
00:44:49,399 --> 00:44:52,736
I could grant you three wishes for 1996.
698
00:44:52,736 --> 00:44:57,532
My even bigger sporting wish would be
to win a Grand Slam tournament.
699
00:44:59,367 --> 00:45:02,913
[Becker, in English] You know,
it ended up in 1996 in Australia,
700
00:45:02,913 --> 00:45:07,876
showing one more time that-that
I'm good when I really have to be.
701
00:45:20,847 --> 00:45:21,932
[crowd applauds]
702
00:45:24,684 --> 00:45:27,229
[Becker]
Barbara was there, you know, even Noah.
703
00:45:27,229 --> 00:45:30,899
He was able to see, you know,
his dad win for the first time.
704
00:45:30,899 --> 00:45:33,735
And so it was a real circle of life
coming through for me.
705
00:45:33,735 --> 00:45:35,612
[Bollettieri] I think that, uh,
706
00:45:36,780 --> 00:45:39,658
he probably wanted his son
to remember him, you know,
707
00:45:39,658 --> 00:45:41,576
as-- as a macho guy.
708
00:45:48,458 --> 00:45:50,460
[commentator]
Boris looks keen, doesn't he?
709
00:45:50,460 --> 00:45:52,837
[Becker] I was 29,
710
00:45:52,837 --> 00:45:55,507
but I'd been a professional then
for 14 years.
711
00:45:55,507 --> 00:45:57,217
That's a-- That's a very long time.
712
00:45:57,217 --> 00:46:00,095
You can say, you know,
29 is not that old yet.
713
00:46:00,095 --> 00:46:04,182
But if you're coming from
where I'm coming from... [chuckles]
714
00:46:04,182 --> 00:46:05,850
...it's an eternity.
715
00:46:05,850 --> 00:46:07,561
- Trust me, it's a life.
- [interviewer] Yes.
716
00:46:11,022 --> 00:46:13,942
[crowd gasps, cheering]
717
00:46:16,444 --> 00:46:19,447
That was an amazing moment. Amazing.
718
00:46:19,447 --> 00:46:22,075
That was, um, pure joy.
719
00:46:22,867 --> 00:46:25,412
The Australian people are
fantastic tennis fans.
720
00:46:25,412 --> 00:46:29,457
He was very much embraced.
A very, very good match. Loved it.
721
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:36,756
{\an8}- [commentator] That's it.
- [court announcer] Game, set, match...
722
00:46:36,756 --> 00:46:39,551
{\an8}[commentator]
Becker's won his second Australian Open.
723
00:46:41,928 --> 00:46:44,431
I think we even celebrated
for two minutes after that.
724
00:46:44,431 --> 00:46:46,224
[crowd cheers, applauds]
725
00:46:46,224 --> 00:46:48,685
[court announcer]
The 1996 men's singles champion,
726
00:46:48,685 --> 00:46:49,936
Boris Becker of Germany.
727
00:46:51,897 --> 00:46:54,900
Well, it's been five years
since, uh, I spoke last time to you.
728
00:46:55,483 --> 00:46:59,154
And, uh, to tell you the truth, I didn't
think I had a Grand Slam left in me.
729
00:46:59,154 --> 00:47:00,655
But, uh...
730
00:47:00,655 --> 00:47:03,825
But thanks to my-my wife, and--
731
00:47:03,825 --> 00:47:07,996
who gave me so much support and love
over the last five years,
732
00:47:07,996 --> 00:47:09,664
I-I was able to do it.
733
00:47:09,664 --> 00:47:12,959
And I want to thank my coach for--
for keeping the fire inside of me burning,
734
00:47:12,959 --> 00:47:16,171
for giving me a self-belief
I didn't have in a long time.
735
00:47:16,171 --> 00:47:20,175
Then I have to thank obviously
the sponsors, Ford and Channel 7,
736
00:47:20,175 --> 00:47:22,594
you know, for putting some money
into this event.
737
00:47:23,345 --> 00:47:26,431
[crowd laughing]
738
00:47:26,431 --> 00:47:28,016
I hope it's full.
739
00:47:30,352 --> 00:47:32,938
This tournament is
a really truly great event.
740
00:47:32,938 --> 00:47:36,608
And, you know, even though I lost
so many times in the first round, I...
741
00:47:36,608 --> 00:47:38,068
[crowd laughs]
742
00:47:38,068 --> 00:47:41,446
...I-I still saw it at-at home
on the television and I had a good time.
743
00:47:41,446 --> 00:47:44,032
[crowd laughing, applauding]
744
00:47:51,248 --> 00:47:56,503
I was again knocking at the door
of-of-of number one, number two.
745
00:47:56,503 --> 00:47:59,548
Pete and Andre were one and two
but I was really challenging them.
746
00:47:59,548 --> 00:48:02,676
I went to Wimbledon,
I was number two in the world.
747
00:48:04,302 --> 00:48:05,887
And I was one of the favorites.
748
00:48:06,846 --> 00:48:08,598
And I played the third round.
749
00:48:10,976 --> 00:48:13,228
And I hit a forehand return too late.
750
00:48:13,228 --> 00:48:14,604
[grunts, exclaims]
751
00:48:17,357 --> 00:48:19,025
[commentator]
Hurt his wrist in doing that.
752
00:48:19,025 --> 00:48:20,819
[Becker] And I break my wrist.
753
00:48:20,819 --> 00:48:23,405
[crowd clamoring]
754
00:48:26,157 --> 00:48:28,994
[commentator 2] Well, it looks like Boris...
755
00:48:30,370 --> 00:48:31,997
is conceding.
756
00:48:31,997 --> 00:48:35,375
[commentator 1] Yes, he is.
Oh, what a shame for the former champion.
757
00:48:35,375 --> 00:48:37,544
[crowd applauds]
758
00:48:39,754 --> 00:48:40,755
[Becker] What do I do?
759
00:48:42,340 --> 00:48:46,052
A lot of rehabbing and doctors
and needles and pills and you name it
760
00:48:46,052 --> 00:48:47,971
just to get back to the tennis court.
761
00:48:49,097 --> 00:48:51,433
I want to decide when I stop.
762
00:48:51,433 --> 00:48:55,103
I think it's important for my--
for my sanity, uh,
763
00:48:55,103 --> 00:48:57,439
that an injury cannot make me stop.
764
00:48:57,439 --> 00:48:59,316
{\an8}[crowd cheers, applauds]
765
00:49:01,735 --> 00:49:05,530
{\an8}Just a year later,
I play Pete Sampras in the quarterfinal.
766
00:49:06,156 --> 00:49:09,618
And I knew beforehand
he's maybe a little bit too good.
767
00:49:13,455 --> 00:49:14,581
[crowd cheers, applauds]
768
00:49:14,581 --> 00:49:20,086
But I play well and I thought,
what a great way of calling it quits.
769
00:49:20,086 --> 00:49:21,755
Against the number one
player in the world,
770
00:49:21,755 --> 00:49:24,716
one of the greatest of all time,
on Wimbledon Centre Court,
771
00:49:24,716 --> 00:49:27,302
the tournament
that-that matters to me most.
772
00:49:27,302 --> 00:49:28,428
[Sampras grunting]
773
00:49:31,389 --> 00:49:32,224
{\an8}[commentator] It's long.
774
00:49:32,224 --> 00:49:33,558
{\an8}[court announcer]
Game, set, match, Sampras.
775
00:49:33,558 --> 00:49:36,561
{\an8}[commentator]
And Sampras is into the semifinals.
776
00:49:37,270 --> 00:49:39,147
[indistinct chatter]
777
00:49:39,147 --> 00:49:42,400
That was probably my last
match at Wimbledon.
778
00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:45,445
- It was a pleasure being with you.
- Okay, you too.
779
00:49:45,445 --> 00:49:48,823
So I tell him, "It's gonna be
my last match, I will retire now."
780
00:49:48,823 --> 00:49:52,077
They had microphones on the court,
which I didn't know.
781
00:49:52,077 --> 00:49:53,161
[commentator, indistinct]
782
00:49:53,161 --> 00:49:56,331
[McEnroe] That is definitely what he said.
There's a couple of possibilities.
783
00:49:56,331 --> 00:49:58,708
The heat of the moment being one, losing.
784
00:49:59,709 --> 00:50:02,963
[McEnroe] As you get older
you're physically not able to do much.
785
00:50:02,963 --> 00:50:04,297
And some of it's mental.
786
00:50:04,297 --> 00:50:05,632
When you get-- [stammers] It just--
787
00:50:05,632 --> 00:50:08,593
It takes a lot to,
you know, continue to believe in yourself,
788
00:50:08,593 --> 00:50:11,054
uh... [stammers, exhales]
789
00:50:11,054 --> 00:50:12,180
...whoever it is.
790
00:50:14,975 --> 00:50:17,936
[Tiriac] You're big enough
to choose what you want to do.
791
00:50:17,936 --> 00:50:20,480
You want to quit, you quit.
You want to stay, you stay.
792
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:23,066
You want to do something else,
you want to do something else.
793
00:50:24,693 --> 00:50:26,695
But, uh, he did a lot.
794
00:50:26,695 --> 00:50:30,490
[interviewer] Do you think Boris fulfilled
his potential as a tennis player or--
795
00:50:30,490 --> 00:50:31,575
No.
796
00:50:32,325 --> 00:50:34,494
No. Not even close.
797
00:50:37,539 --> 00:50:39,583
[Becker] I realized that this can't go on.
798
00:50:40,458 --> 00:50:42,669
I want to play one more Wimbledon
and then that's it.
799
00:50:49,342 --> 00:50:53,263
Like an idiot, I injured my right ankle
playing football.
800
00:50:53,263 --> 00:50:57,017
My doctor said, "No, no, with this ankle
you cannot play Wimbledon.
801
00:50:57,017 --> 00:50:58,810
I mean, that's it. You can't play."
802
00:50:58,810 --> 00:51:01,313
I said, "I don't know what you give me,
803
00:51:02,188 --> 00:51:04,774
and I don't care how bad it hurts,
804
00:51:05,525 --> 00:51:08,904
I will play one more Wimbledon
and that's it."
805
00:51:19,122 --> 00:51:21,249
[official, over PA]
Do not leave property unattended
806
00:51:21,249 --> 00:51:22,834
for however short a period.
807
00:51:24,169 --> 00:51:26,796
Could I also request
that portable telephones
808
00:51:26,796 --> 00:51:31,218
are not to be used around the courts
when play is in progress.
809
00:51:31,218 --> 00:51:34,429
Please do turn them off. Thank you.
810
00:51:34,429 --> 00:51:38,099
[Becker] I announced this is
going to be my last tennis tournament.
811
00:51:38,808 --> 00:51:42,729
And I always thought that I don't want
to retire on Court Number 2.
812
00:51:43,271 --> 00:51:45,607
I want to retire on Centre Court.
[chuckles]
813
00:51:45,607 --> 00:51:48,568
You know, ranking wise, I wasn't
one of the top players anymore,
814
00:51:48,568 --> 00:51:51,112
so I had to accept whatever court
they put me on.
815
00:51:51,112 --> 00:51:53,657
But Wimbledon works magic.
816
00:51:53,657 --> 00:51:55,200
I reached the fourth round.
817
00:51:55,200 --> 00:51:58,328
So they put me on Centre Court
against Patrick Rafter.
818
00:51:58,328 --> 00:52:00,830
[crowd cheering, applauding]
819
00:52:03,667 --> 00:52:07,796
{\an8}And I felt, "Hmm, maybe I have a chance,"
so my mind was going crazy.
820
00:52:18,181 --> 00:52:20,892
[crowd applauds]
821
00:52:26,439 --> 00:52:31,027
[Becker] And I-I got back to reality
and I realized, "What am I talking about?
822
00:52:31,027 --> 00:52:36,491
I'm-I'm happy going out today
against a player I respect a lot
823
00:52:36,491 --> 00:52:38,243
and on Wimbledon Centre Court, you know."
824
00:52:38,243 --> 00:52:40,412
A bit like in the movies.
You want to have that script.
825
00:52:45,208 --> 00:52:48,003
- [commentator 1] Still.
- [commentator 2] Match point against it.
826
00:52:57,262 --> 00:52:59,681
{\an8}- [line umpire] Out!
- [announcer] Game, set, match, Rafter.
827
00:52:59,681 --> 00:53:04,102
{\an8}Rafter wins by three sets to none,
6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
828
00:53:04,102 --> 00:53:06,396
{\an8}[crowd cheering, applauding]
829
00:53:14,112 --> 00:53:16,615
[commentator 1] Changing of the guard.
830
00:53:18,950 --> 00:53:21,953
[cheering, applauding continues]
831
00:53:40,347 --> 00:53:42,057
[Becker] Now, um,
832
00:53:42,057 --> 00:53:45,810
I think the first beer was opened
right after the match.
833
00:53:46,394 --> 00:53:49,689
And then there was another beer,
and I started to be carried away.
834
00:53:51,399 --> 00:53:56,112
I wanted to say goodbye then to, um,
my coach, my physio,
835
00:53:56,112 --> 00:54:01,368
uh, and my stringer, at a dinner
that I organized then that night at Nobu.
836
00:54:03,536 --> 00:54:07,624
I came home to the hotel,
and my mother was there and my wife.
837
00:54:07,624 --> 00:54:10,001
She was pregnant with our second son.
838
00:54:10,001 --> 00:54:16,424
I said, "Tomorrow I'm gonna be, um,
the husband and-and the father and home,
839
00:54:16,424 --> 00:54:18,218
but tonight I want to celebrate."
840
00:54:20,428 --> 00:54:22,514
My wife was slightly pissed off. [laughs]
841
00:54:23,807 --> 00:54:27,310
"Your tennis life is over. You know,
you have to take responsibilities."
842
00:54:28,228 --> 00:54:31,940
I said, "Yeah. Tomorrow morning, yes.
But tonight let me be.
843
00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:35,485
It's the last time I'm a tennis player.
Tomorrow it's over."
844
00:54:35,485 --> 00:54:39,072
[interviewer] Was that
a big moment for you in terms of--
845
00:54:39,072 --> 00:54:40,282
Yes.
846
00:54:40,282 --> 00:54:43,785
But it was a big moment because
he had just lost his father.
847
00:54:44,619 --> 00:54:46,204
And his mother was
848
00:54:47,163 --> 00:54:49,791
dressed in black
because she just lost her husband.
849
00:54:50,667 --> 00:54:54,963
It felt like, you know, he's going
and we all are in the dust.
850
00:54:57,090 --> 00:54:58,717
And it was dramatic, I thought.
851
00:54:59,467 --> 00:55:01,803
I don't know this man, you know?
I don't know him like this.
852
00:55:01,803 --> 00:55:03,513
It's almost like you know, like--
853
00:55:03,513 --> 00:55:07,767
You-- I was a team member
and I got, uh, let go
854
00:55:07,767 --> 00:55:09,853
because the job was finished.
855
00:55:11,938 --> 00:55:14,816
[Becker] And I had a long discussion
on the balcony with my mother.
856
00:55:15,400 --> 00:55:17,360
"No, Mother, Mother, you don't understand.
857
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:20,238
I want to celebrate with my boys
one last time."
858
00:55:21,489 --> 00:55:24,659
She said,
"Boris, just don't do anything stupid."
859
00:55:24,659 --> 00:55:27,913
["Boom Boom" playing]
860
00:55:32,459 --> 00:55:35,462
[Becker] We celebrated
and we had a couple more drinks,
861
00:55:35,462 --> 00:55:37,923
and I run into Angela.
862
00:55:39,507 --> 00:55:43,136
I've met Angela two weeks prior,
also at Nobu.
863
00:55:43,136 --> 00:55:44,763
[song continues]
864
00:55:50,685 --> 00:55:52,312
Lots of things have been said.
865
00:56:02,739 --> 00:56:05,242
I wouldn't like to go in all the details,
866
00:56:05,242 --> 00:56:07,827
but I can tell you
we went to the back room.
867
00:56:07,827 --> 00:56:11,748
Uh, no, it wasn't the cupboard.
The cupboard is way too small at Nobu.
868
00:56:11,748 --> 00:56:13,124
If you ever go to the cupboard,
869
00:56:13,124 --> 00:56:17,462
it is impossible to have any sort
of physical activity in the cupboard.
870
00:56:17,462 --> 00:56:19,130
We got together. We had sex.
871
00:56:19,130 --> 00:56:21,132
[song continues]
872
00:56:39,234 --> 00:56:42,404
I had no number for Angela.
I had no contact.
873
00:56:42,404 --> 00:56:43,863
And that was that.
874
00:56:48,118 --> 00:56:50,412
Went back to my team, my boys.
875
00:56:50,412 --> 00:56:53,748
Uh, you know, we paid the bill,
and I went home.
876
00:56:56,126 --> 00:56:59,087
The next morning we flew home to Munich.
877
00:57:00,964 --> 00:57:04,384
It was a very difficult period in my life
for many reasons.
878
00:57:04,384 --> 00:57:07,012
My father has passed earlier that year.
879
00:57:08,013 --> 00:57:10,098
He was the decision-maker for the family,
880
00:57:10,098 --> 00:57:16,021
and for him to pass away before I retired,
881
00:57:16,021 --> 00:57:17,439
it's still difficult today.
882
00:57:17,439 --> 00:57:19,024
I'd-I'd love to have him around.
883
00:57:19,608 --> 00:57:21,985
[interviewer] What else was
rattling around in your head?
884
00:57:22,777 --> 00:57:26,740
Well, the fact-- the fact, you know,
that I was retiring.
885
00:57:27,490 --> 00:57:29,993
You've had enough, but you're a young man.
886
00:57:29,993 --> 00:57:33,538
The rest of your life is in front of you,
so you don't know what's coming next.
887
00:57:33,538 --> 00:57:36,666
It's sort of, you know,
walking into a dark room.
888
00:57:36,666 --> 00:57:39,085
[stammers] You don't know
what's gonna hit you.
889
00:57:41,963 --> 00:57:43,965
[Becker, in German]
Match point at Wimbledon...
890
00:57:45,300 --> 00:57:48,678
I can't imagine having such a high
once again.
891
00:57:50,263 --> 00:57:53,516
When it's over with my profession,
with playing tennis,
892
00:57:54,017 --> 00:57:57,646
I won't look for a new profession
where I can find excitement.
893
00:57:58,355 --> 00:58:01,483
I'll search for that
in my private life then.
894
00:58:12,202 --> 00:58:15,997
[Borg, in English] When you step away from
the game, it's very, very difficult.
895
00:58:15,997 --> 00:58:19,793
We've been talking about that
a lot, me and Boris.
896
00:58:21,253 --> 00:58:23,672
It's going to take a while to adjust,
897
00:58:23,672 --> 00:58:26,800
{\an8}to step away from that structure,
to that scheduling--
898
00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:28,218
{\an8}what to do, not to do.
899
00:58:28,218 --> 00:58:31,513
{\an8}To love to go on the court,
practicing, play matches, winning.
900
00:58:33,390 --> 00:58:35,684
You come into a completely different life.
901
00:58:37,102 --> 00:58:38,728
[reporter]
Since his retirement from tennis,
902
00:58:38,728 --> 00:58:41,189
Borg's personal life
has taken a tragic turn
903
00:58:41,189 --> 00:58:43,066
from the number-one
tennis player in the world
904
00:58:43,066 --> 00:58:46,695
to ten years of unhappy marriage,
child custody disputes,
905
00:58:46,695 --> 00:58:50,448
millions lost in business ventures,
and reported drug use.
906
00:58:50,448 --> 00:58:52,576
A desperate time in his life.
907
00:58:56,079 --> 00:58:58,373
[interviewer] To the media,
Borg's life after retirement
908
00:58:58,373 --> 00:59:00,375
was like a long-running soap opera.
909
00:59:02,419 --> 00:59:04,379
Almost a decade after retiring,
910
00:59:04,379 --> 00:59:07,757
he tried to recapture his former glory
by returning to the tour
911
00:59:07,757 --> 00:59:10,051
with his old look and wooden racket.
912
00:59:12,178 --> 00:59:13,763
But the game had moved on.
913
00:59:14,598 --> 00:59:17,183
Former stars like Borg or Becker
914
00:59:17,183 --> 00:59:19,269
have to learn
how to live in the real world
915
00:59:19,269 --> 00:59:20,854
when the cheering stops.
916
00:59:21,855 --> 00:59:26,526
It's tough sometimes when you're sort of
used to being treated a certain way
917
00:59:26,526 --> 00:59:28,695
and then all of a sudden that changes,
918
00:59:28,695 --> 00:59:30,989
particularly when you're losing more
919
00:59:30,989 --> 00:59:35,410
and then you have to stop playing,
and your identity, and that whole BS.
920
00:59:35,410 --> 00:59:37,412
- It's not BS, actually, but...
- [interviewer] Yeah, it is.
921
00:59:37,412 --> 00:59:38,747
...athletes have to deal with it.
922
00:59:38,747 --> 00:59:41,082
It's not-- It's not easy.
923
00:59:41,082 --> 00:59:43,960
His life was just like--
There was such a big break, you know?
924
00:59:43,960 --> 00:59:46,838
And I don't think you can
really prepare for that.
925
00:59:46,838 --> 00:59:48,548
What's next, you know?
"Where are you going?"
926
00:59:48,548 --> 00:59:51,593
"Are you staying home now?" It's like,
"But what are we doing?" You know?
927
00:59:51,593 --> 00:59:56,056
And so I think we just...
you know, went different ways.
928
00:59:57,724 --> 01:00:00,352
[machine beeps, whirs]
929
01:00:01,519 --> 01:00:04,064
[Becker]
Eight months later, there was a fax.
930
01:00:04,064 --> 01:00:06,775
I remember most of the words. Uh, they--
931
01:00:06,775 --> 01:00:08,652
"You may not remember me."
932
01:00:08,652 --> 01:00:13,365
Uh, uh, "Our last meeting, uh,
is eight months old."
933
01:00:13,865 --> 01:00:16,159
Uh, uh, "Here's my number. Call me."
934
01:00:16,159 --> 01:00:18,370
And I just couldn't believe.
935
01:00:19,579 --> 01:00:23,291
The next week, I met Angela in London.
You know, rented the whole--
936
01:00:23,291 --> 01:00:26,586
I think the whole floor...
[chuckles] ...of the hotel.
937
01:00:27,087 --> 01:00:29,214
I was really, um, under pressure.
938
01:00:30,674 --> 01:00:33,677
And, um, you know, she came in.
She had a big coat on.
939
01:00:33,677 --> 01:00:35,762
And she took the coat off.
She was heavily pregnant.
940
01:00:35,762 --> 01:00:38,098
And-- And she just explained to me
941
01:00:38,098 --> 01:00:40,392
that I'm the father,
uh, um, of this child.
942
01:00:40,392 --> 01:00:43,937
And I said, "Well, let's-- I believe you."
943
01:00:43,937 --> 01:00:45,105
You know, we had sex.
944
01:00:45,105 --> 01:00:48,358
But, "Let's-- Let's--
You know, you have the baby,
945
01:00:48,358 --> 01:00:51,945
and then we got to the doctor
and we'd make a DNA test,
946
01:00:52,571 --> 01:00:54,614
and-- and if it's my baby,
947
01:00:54,614 --> 01:00:57,659
I'm responsible for it.
I will-- I will look after, period."
948
01:00:59,035 --> 01:01:00,870
[interviewer]
When Boris told me this story,
949
01:01:00,870 --> 01:01:03,206
it sounded compelling and straightforward.
950
01:01:05,875 --> 01:01:08,628
But when I looked into it,
the story turned out to be
951
01:01:08,628 --> 01:01:10,589
a bit more complicated,
952
01:01:10,589 --> 01:01:12,757
especially after the baby was born.
953
01:01:14,426 --> 01:01:16,511
[Becker] Once I knew,
954
01:01:16,511 --> 01:01:21,016
in the spring of-- of 2000,
uh, that I have, um...
955
01:01:22,225 --> 01:01:24,352
another child... [stammers] ...a daughter,
956
01:01:24,352 --> 01:01:26,897
uh, I knew, um, I have to speak to Barbara
957
01:01:26,897 --> 01:01:30,692
because, uh, you know,
she has to find out from me first.
958
01:01:33,153 --> 01:01:35,572
[Barbara] If you make it into a movie,
you would have, like--
959
01:01:35,572 --> 01:01:38,575
like, somebody screaming
and somebody slamming a door
960
01:01:38,575 --> 01:01:43,955
and, like, you think of it like this--
like, as a moment to tell the story.
961
01:01:43,955 --> 01:01:47,334
But I really don't see it like this
because there were so many moments
962
01:01:47,334 --> 01:01:51,713
where you could have changed
the whole path, you know?
963
01:01:51,713 --> 01:01:53,340
For me, it's not just that one moment.
964
01:01:53,340 --> 01:01:59,471
For me, it's like a continuous drifting
apart, a continuous, uh, separation.
965
01:02:01,139 --> 01:02:04,517
Getting a little emotional right now,
but, you know, I'm telling you the truth.
966
01:02:05,018 --> 01:02:09,189
And, um, you know, she said,
"Well, I still love you.
967
01:02:09,189 --> 01:02:10,690
I still want to be with you.
968
01:02:10,690 --> 01:02:15,237
Let's, I don't know, somehow find a way,"
and I said, "Well... [stammers] ...thanks."
969
01:02:16,363 --> 01:02:20,450
Many months, the public-- nobody knew yet.
The story didn't break. But--
970
01:02:20,450 --> 01:02:25,163
But every little thing we discussed,
she came with the joker card
971
01:02:25,163 --> 01:02:27,123
that said, "You shut the fuck up now,
972
01:02:27,123 --> 01:02:30,835
because if the world would know
what you've done, you lost anyway."
973
01:02:31,503 --> 01:02:34,965
And I said, "You're right, but this
is not the relationship I can live.
974
01:02:34,965 --> 01:02:36,091
This is impossible."
975
01:02:36,091 --> 01:02:39,052
I said, uh, "Barbara,
I-I-- I think we need a break."
976
01:02:42,347 --> 01:02:44,266
[interviewer] Once the Beckers,
Barbara and Boris,
977
01:02:44,266 --> 01:02:46,351
announced their separation,
978
01:02:46,351 --> 01:02:48,937
Angela, the mother
of Boris' youngest child,
979
01:02:48,937 --> 01:02:50,605
went public with the Nobu story.
980
01:02:50,605 --> 01:02:52,190
- Excuse me, please.
- I have nothing to say
981
01:02:52,190 --> 01:02:54,067
till the court case is over.
982
01:02:54,067 --> 01:02:56,570
[interviewer]
But unlike the story Boris told me,
983
01:02:56,570 --> 01:02:59,531
{\an8}Boris had actually
responded in the moment
984
01:02:59,531 --> 01:03:02,409
{\an8}with a series of tall tales
that tried to cast himself
985
01:03:02,409 --> 01:03:04,619
{\an8}as the victim of the Nobu affair.
986
01:03:26,975 --> 01:03:30,020
[Angela Ermakova] He agreed
to do the test, um, a long time ago
987
01:03:30,020 --> 01:03:31,897
when Anna was born.
988
01:03:32,606 --> 01:03:35,817
{\an8}If he would have done it at the beginning,
989
01:03:35,817 --> 01:03:39,654
{\an8}um, it would have never gotten
to the public eye,
990
01:03:39,654 --> 01:03:44,659
{\an8}because, uh, he could have just
dealt with the publicity issues himself.
991
01:03:44,659 --> 01:03:49,664
No one never needed to know
how, when-- when it happened.
992
01:03:51,041 --> 01:03:54,377
I didn't take him down.
He took himself down.
993
01:04:02,344 --> 01:04:04,888
[in German] Hello and welcome
to our special program,
994
01:04:04,888 --> 01:04:06,973
"The War of the Roses: Becker vs. Becker."
995
01:04:06,973 --> 01:04:10,852
We go now to Miami to meet
our correspondent Christof Lang.
996
01:04:10,852 --> 01:04:13,688
He's standing before
the municipal court in Miami.
997
01:04:13,688 --> 01:04:17,317
[in English] You must understand,
there was live coverage in Germany.
998
01:04:17,317 --> 01:04:20,028
- [interviewer] Live coverage?
- Live coverage in Germany
999
01:04:20,028 --> 01:04:23,990
about the trial and divorce
of Boris and Barbara Becker. Live.
1000
01:04:23,990 --> 01:04:27,202
[in German] The whole day yesterday
was very, very exciting
1001
01:04:27,202 --> 01:04:30,330
and also quite dramatic.
Boris had breakfast yesterday morning
1002
01:04:30,330 --> 01:04:33,792
and had another discussion
with his lawyer there.
1003
01:04:33,792 --> 01:04:38,088
Then he drove to Fisher Island
and met Barbara and her lawyer.
1004
01:04:38,088 --> 01:04:41,383
Incidentally,
that was the first time they had
1005
01:04:41,383 --> 01:04:43,552
spoken together privately
since their split.
1006
01:04:43,552 --> 01:04:47,055
And I had the impression that he
was preparing for a big tennis match.
1007
01:04:54,771 --> 01:04:56,856
[interviewer, in English]
Barbara had signed a German prenup,
1008
01:04:56,856 --> 01:04:59,109
which put a cap on any divorce settlement.
1009
01:05:00,068 --> 01:05:02,988
She gambled that she could do better
in a Miami court.
1010
01:05:03,905 --> 01:05:07,659
[Becker] She went to our apartment
in Miami Beach with the two boys.
1011
01:05:08,159 --> 01:05:10,745
She said, "Yes, I have--
I have the best lawyers now."
1012
01:05:10,745 --> 01:05:13,748
And then she got a little bit nasty,
and I said, "Fine.
1013
01:05:13,748 --> 01:05:15,584
I'm only gonna get
the second-best lawyers."
1014
01:05:15,584 --> 01:05:18,169
She had the best lawyers, I had
the second-best lawyers. That's fine.
1015
01:05:18,169 --> 01:05:23,758
{\an8}We're very, very, uh, disappointed
at-- at the legal maneuvering
1016
01:05:23,758 --> 01:05:27,929
{\an8}that-that tries to raise this question
of kidnapping. It's...
1017
01:05:27,929 --> 01:05:30,891
[interviewer] Sam Burstyn
was a legendary lawyer in South Florida,
1018
01:05:30,891 --> 01:05:33,268
famous for high-profile drug cases.
1019
01:05:33,768 --> 01:05:37,272
He deftly returned Boris's serve
by ridiculing Becker's claim
1020
01:05:37,272 --> 01:05:40,859
that Barbara had kidnapped the children
by taking them to Miami.
1021
01:05:41,693 --> 01:05:44,738
But then Boris hit back
by playing the German card.
1022
01:05:47,198 --> 01:05:50,035
[Becker] I was told that he's
a pretty aggressive guy
1023
01:05:50,035 --> 01:05:53,496
and-and obviously very sharp
and-and you have to be careful.
1024
01:05:53,496 --> 01:05:56,458
[translator speaking German]
1025
01:05:56,458 --> 01:05:58,710
[Becker] And I said,
"Well, can I have a translator?
1026
01:05:58,710 --> 01:06:00,921
Because I'd like to speak
in my-- my mother tongue.
1027
01:06:00,921 --> 01:06:02,797
[speaks indistinctly]
1028
01:06:02,797 --> 01:06:06,635
That pisses Sam a little bit off
because you lose your momentum.
1029
01:06:06,635 --> 01:06:09,262
You know, when you get quizzed
quickly and you have to answer quickly,
1030
01:06:09,262 --> 01:06:11,848
you know, it's translated
so it really slowed down the pace.
1031
01:06:11,848 --> 01:06:14,476
That really didn't--
didn't play in his playbook.
1032
01:06:14,476 --> 01:06:17,479
[person] The testimony best be...
1033
01:06:17,479 --> 01:06:20,732
[in German] We asked whether it was
actually right for Barbara
1034
01:06:20,732 --> 01:06:22,943
to get more money
1035
01:06:22,943 --> 01:06:25,946
in the USA despite
a German marriage contract.
1036
01:06:25,946 --> 01:06:29,532
Twenty-four percent answers answered
that it's right,
1037
01:06:29,532 --> 01:06:35,121
but 58% still don't think it's fair.
1038
01:06:36,456 --> 01:06:39,209
[interviewer, in English]
The legal volleys went back and forth.
1039
01:06:39,209 --> 01:06:41,044
Sam Burstyn threatened to question Boris
1040
01:06:41,044 --> 01:06:45,423
about business practices
that might be unethical or worse.
1041
01:06:45,423 --> 01:06:48,927
In return, Boris promised
that his lawyers would grill Barbara
1042
01:06:48,927 --> 01:06:50,679
on the stand for hours.
1043
01:06:51,805 --> 01:06:52,931
[Becker] Barbara calls me.
1044
01:06:52,931 --> 01:06:55,725
"We have to sort this.
I don't want to go to court tomorrow."
1045
01:06:55,725 --> 01:06:58,520
I said-- [sighs] I was playing my card.
1046
01:06:58,520 --> 01:07:03,441
I said, "Well, I-I mean, again,
you're right to do what you do.
1047
01:07:04,109 --> 01:07:05,193
I fucked up.
1048
01:07:05,694 --> 01:07:09,030
But now, six months later, uh, uh, uh,
1049
01:07:09,030 --> 01:07:11,491
you get-- you get--
it gets nasty with the lawyers
1050
01:07:11,491 --> 01:07:13,618
and you do court
and everything, not right.
1051
01:07:13,618 --> 01:07:16,288
Ask me what you want,
I can give it to you."
1052
01:07:20,125 --> 01:07:21,543
We negotiated.
1053
01:07:22,210 --> 01:07:24,629
We made an agreement
that we don't speak about numbers,
1054
01:07:24,629 --> 01:07:27,173
but believe me, she's a wealthy woman.
1055
01:07:30,510 --> 01:07:33,013
{\an8}[interviewer] Between divorce settlements
and child support,
1056
01:07:33,013 --> 01:07:34,973
{\an8}Becker's expenses were mounting up.
1057
01:07:35,724 --> 01:07:40,186
Then he was convicted of tax fraud,
and on the hook for huge fines.
1058
01:07:41,771 --> 01:07:46,234
It was a tough losing streak,
one that Boris tried to handle with grace.
1059
01:07:47,027 --> 01:07:49,821
After all, he and Barbara
may have learned the lesson
1060
01:07:49,821 --> 01:07:53,116
of the Kipling quote at the players' door
to Wimbledon's center court,
1061
01:07:53,825 --> 01:07:58,663
"Triumph and disaster are both impostors,
and should be treated just the same."
1062
01:08:01,541 --> 01:08:02,542
Hmm.
1063
01:08:05,420 --> 01:08:06,796
[Barbara speaking indistinctly]
1064
01:08:06,796 --> 01:08:08,548
[player] You're crushing me on television.
1065
01:08:08,548 --> 01:08:10,342
- [scoffs]
- [Barbara speaking indistinctly]
1066
01:08:10,926 --> 01:08:11,927
[laughs]
1067
01:08:11,927 --> 01:08:13,011
Intense.
1068
01:08:14,596 --> 01:08:16,431
[Barbara]
You can't have your cake and eat it.
1069
01:08:17,139 --> 01:08:22,771
That I have this beautiful family,
that I have my kids, that I have this life
1070
01:08:23,897 --> 01:08:26,900
has to do with the pain also
that I had to endure.
1071
01:08:27,651 --> 01:08:31,362
So I also look at this as not only
a learning experience,
1072
01:08:31,362 --> 01:08:34,866
but something that had to happen
for me to be here,
1073
01:08:34,866 --> 01:08:38,954
for you to talk to me, for me to be here,
you know, to have these kids.
1074
01:08:38,954 --> 01:08:42,040
So I see it as a full thing,
1075
01:08:42,040 --> 01:08:45,210
and this is how
I see my relationship with Boris,
1076
01:08:45,710 --> 01:08:50,214
with a lot of gratitude
of what was and what is,
1077
01:08:50,214 --> 01:08:54,219
and, um, with love, you know?
1078
01:08:54,219 --> 01:08:56,554
I only have to talk about it
when you come.
1079
01:08:56,554 --> 01:08:59,516
- [laughs]
- [interviewer laughs]
1080
01:09:00,642 --> 01:09:02,227
[Becker] It's called life.
You have to move on.
1081
01:09:02,227 --> 01:09:04,938
As long as you-- you make sure
that the kids are fine,
1082
01:09:04,938 --> 01:09:08,275
I think, you know, we as adults,
we have to move on, and--
1083
01:09:08,275 --> 01:09:12,445
My difficult part was then, um,
how do I deal with my daughter?
1084
01:09:18,535 --> 01:09:19,661
[babbling]
1085
01:09:22,664 --> 01:09:27,502
So I said, um, "Angela, I think it's time
for Anna to meet her brothers."
1086
01:09:28,879 --> 01:09:32,549
I have a finca in Mallorca.
I made a, you know, big family holiday
1087
01:09:32,549 --> 01:09:36,011
where I had Anna and Angela
together now in the house
1088
01:09:36,011 --> 01:09:38,554
with my mother, with my sister,
with-- with the boys.
1089
01:09:38,554 --> 01:09:40,389
I mean, it was unbelievable.
1090
01:09:40,389 --> 01:09:43,727
If you would have told me that
when that first story happened,
1091
01:09:43,727 --> 01:09:46,521
he said that it's an impossibility.
1092
01:09:47,397 --> 01:09:49,607
Regardless of what the world says,
the media says,
1093
01:09:49,607 --> 01:09:53,277
this is a normal family situation.
1094
01:09:53,277 --> 01:09:57,532
I was dividing my time, uh,
between Miami Beach
1095
01:09:57,532 --> 01:10:00,952
and Switzerland in Zurich,
and Miami Beach.
1096
01:10:00,952 --> 01:10:04,706
I took Noah for a pizza
to the local Italian.
1097
01:10:05,206 --> 01:10:06,750
This woman walks to the bar.
1098
01:10:09,461 --> 01:10:12,881
And she was just the most beautiful woman
I've seen in my life.
1099
01:10:16,426 --> 01:10:20,013
One of Lilly's biggest qualities
was always to, uh,
1100
01:10:20,013 --> 01:10:23,767
cater and adapt and handle my kids,
including my daughter.
1101
01:10:25,769 --> 01:10:29,064
Those are the most important things
in my life, and if they like you,
1102
01:10:29,648 --> 01:10:33,985
then-- then you already won me over,
because they are-- they are, um...
1103
01:10:33,985 --> 01:10:35,153
they are so important.
1104
01:10:36,655 --> 01:10:38,990
I told her, "Listen,
I think we should get married.
1105
01:10:38,990 --> 01:10:41,660
I want you to, you know, move to Europe,"
and she said,
1106
01:10:41,660 --> 01:10:45,789
um, "Yeah. Yeah. I love you.
Let's get married."
1107
01:10:51,670 --> 01:10:54,130
[in German]
Welcome to our "Exclusiv Spezial,"
1108
01:10:54,130 --> 01:10:56,633
Boris's dream wedding in St. Moritz.
1109
01:10:57,384 --> 01:10:59,511
[reporter] The rehearsal--
first item on the agenda after
1110
01:10:59,511 --> 01:11:02,764
the couple landed in the
posh Swiss town of St. Moritz
1111
01:11:02,764 --> 01:11:05,183
by private jet on Thursday afternoon.
1112
01:11:05,183 --> 01:11:08,311
Somehow everyone seems to be
in a state of excitement about it all.
1113
01:11:08,311 --> 01:11:09,229
[speaking German]
1114
01:11:09,229 --> 01:11:10,772
[reporter] "Here comes the bride."
1115
01:11:11,606 --> 01:11:14,568
In front of the car, hotel employees
and security forces strive to
1116
01:11:14,568 --> 01:11:19,614
protect the bride from
the all-too-curious eyes of photographers.
1117
01:11:19,614 --> 01:11:21,241
[guard 1 in English]
Back, back, back, back, back.
1118
01:11:21,241 --> 01:11:22,325
[guard 2] Okay. Let's go.
1119
01:11:22,325 --> 01:11:24,452
[bell tolling]
1120
01:11:24,452 --> 01:11:28,456
{\an8}[in English] "I, Boris,
take you, Sharlely, to be my wife."
1121
01:11:28,456 --> 01:11:31,418
{\an8}"To have and to hold
from this day forward..."
1122
01:11:31,418 --> 01:11:34,588
{\an8}"To have and hold from this day forward..."
1123
01:11:34,588 --> 01:11:36,256
{\an8}"For better and for worse..."
1124
01:11:36,256 --> 01:11:37,757
{\an8}[minister] "For richer or for poorer..."
1125
01:11:37,757 --> 01:11:39,968
{\an8}"For richer or poorer..."
1126
01:11:42,470 --> 01:11:45,015
["The Air That I Breathe" playing]
1127
01:12:19,424 --> 01:12:20,425
[grunts]
1128
01:12:23,303 --> 01:12:24,221
[grunts]
1129
01:12:27,515 --> 01:12:30,185
{\an8}[reporter] What a doubles pair
these two would make.
1130
01:12:30,185 --> 01:12:33,730
The six-time Grand Slam champion
Boris Becker has joined
1131
01:12:33,730 --> 01:12:36,608
the coaching team of
the world number two, Novak Djokovic.
1132
01:12:36,608 --> 01:12:38,777
Djokovic called Becker "a true legend."
1133
01:12:40,695 --> 01:12:43,531
[crew member] Take some time
to adjust if necessary.
1134
01:12:43,531 --> 01:12:45,200
[interviewer]
Yeah, let's just take a quick look.
1135
01:12:45,200 --> 01:12:46,284
[crew member] We're recording.
1136
01:12:46,284 --> 01:12:47,786
{\an8}[interviewer]
Let's begin at the beginning.
1137
01:12:47,786 --> 01:12:50,455
{\an8}- Why did you reach out to Boris?
- [inhales sharply]
1138
01:12:50,455 --> 01:12:53,250
{\an8}- Mental strength. [laughs]
- [interviewer laughs]
1139
01:12:53,250 --> 01:12:56,086
That's how I would describe, uh, Boris.
1140
01:12:58,630 --> 01:12:59,923
[Becker] We spoke.
1141
01:12:59,923 --> 01:13:03,176
And I said, "Well, I'm too old
to bullshit you, you know?
1142
01:13:03,176 --> 01:13:05,428
I've followed you and your career,
1143
01:13:05,428 --> 01:13:08,056
and you always come across
as a street fighter."
1144
01:13:08,056 --> 01:13:10,058
[applause]
1145
01:13:10,058 --> 01:13:12,602
"And once you're in a final
with whoever, you gave it away.
1146
01:13:15,522 --> 01:13:19,276
You bag it in, you tank. Why?"
1147
01:13:19,276 --> 01:13:21,444
He said, "Yeah, I'm frustrated.
I-- I can't--"
1148
01:13:21,444 --> 01:13:24,531
Then I said, "Well, there's a reason.
We need to speak about it."
1149
01:13:27,450 --> 01:13:29,119
[crowd murmurs]
1150
01:13:29,119 --> 01:13:31,496
[Becker] "So you have to believe
in what I'm telling you,
1151
01:13:31,496 --> 01:13:34,416
and this is my opinion
about your forehand and your serve
1152
01:13:34,416 --> 01:13:36,418
and the backhand and the attitude,
1153
01:13:36,418 --> 01:13:39,796
and you're too rushed
and everything that I've heard."
1154
01:13:39,796 --> 01:13:43,341
Six hours later, he-- he said,
um, "You wanna coach me?"
1155
01:13:43,341 --> 01:13:44,426
[grunts]
1156
01:13:49,514 --> 01:13:52,225
[McEnroe] Truthfully,
I think Boris did a great job with Novak,
1157
01:13:52,225 --> 01:13:54,394
but, you know, in some ways,
you could be like,
1158
01:13:54,394 --> 01:13:56,605
- "Here. Go out on the court."
- [interviewer laughs]
1159
01:13:56,605 --> 01:13:58,356
"Good. Play well."
1160
01:13:58,356 --> 01:14:00,442
I mean, that's Novak Djokovic
you're talking about.
1161
01:14:00,442 --> 01:14:02,110
It turned out he's pretty good, right?
1162
01:14:04,487 --> 01:14:06,573
I'm sure there were some tactical things.
1163
01:14:06,573 --> 01:14:09,451
It's not like Boris doesn't know the game,
but this was more about, you know,
1164
01:14:09,451 --> 01:14:10,785
what goes on here.
1165
01:14:10,785 --> 01:14:12,954
{\an8}When you go onto the court
against Rafa Nadal,
1166
01:14:12,954 --> 01:14:17,000
{\an8}it's not about how many forehands
do you hit, how many winners do you hit.
1167
01:14:17,000 --> 01:14:19,753
It's-- You gotta get good starts in sets.
1168
01:14:19,753 --> 01:14:24,216
And you get good starts in sets
by not letting your head drop at all.
1169
01:14:24,216 --> 01:14:26,343
Like you believe
it's just a matter of time
1170
01:14:26,343 --> 01:14:28,595
before I'm gonna take the lead
in this match,
1171
01:14:28,595 --> 01:14:31,097
and I thought with Boris,
he grew as a person.
1172
01:14:32,557 --> 01:14:33,934
[Becker] It gets personal.
1173
01:14:34,559 --> 01:14:36,937
You know, "You want--
You want your mother to cry
1174
01:14:36,937 --> 01:14:38,480
or you want his mother to cry?
1175
01:14:38,480 --> 01:14:41,775
You're a proud Serbian.
You're a proud family man.
1176
01:14:41,775 --> 01:14:43,652
You would do anything
to protect the family.
1177
01:14:43,652 --> 01:14:46,863
That's how you have to play.
That's the attitude.
1178
01:14:46,863 --> 01:14:49,324
Because Rafael wants to do the same,
Roger wants to do the same,
1179
01:14:49,324 --> 01:14:50,659
and Andy want to do the same.
1180
01:14:50,659 --> 01:14:53,453
They want to protect their families.
Oh, now go out and do it."
1181
01:14:53,954 --> 01:14:56,581
Then we still had to overcome
a couple of inner demons
1182
01:14:56,581 --> 01:14:58,166
that I can't talk about.
1183
01:14:58,166 --> 01:15:01,211
Why he faltered on the last hurdle.
1184
01:15:02,170 --> 01:15:05,006
[interviewer] What Boris discovered
was that Novak was so haunted
1185
01:15:05,006 --> 01:15:07,467
by something he had done off the court,
1186
01:15:07,467 --> 01:15:10,887
that he was subconsciously
punishing himself on the court
1187
01:15:10,887 --> 01:15:13,056
by losing in the final rounds.
1188
01:15:13,056 --> 01:15:17,769
Boris told Novak that unless he reckoned
with those inner demons, he wouldn't win.
1189
01:15:18,520 --> 01:15:21,982
We did talk about
all the off-court activities
1190
01:15:21,982 --> 01:15:25,235
that could be favorable
1191
01:15:25,235 --> 01:15:30,198
and-- and also the other ones
that they are actually a distraction.
1192
01:15:32,158 --> 01:15:35,495
He asked me, "Okay,
so what do you want from tennis?
1193
01:15:35,495 --> 01:15:38,623
Do you have clarity of your goal?"
So I said, "Yeah, of course.
1194
01:15:38,623 --> 01:15:42,794
I want to write the history of the sport,
and, um, and I want to do it with you."
1195
01:15:42,794 --> 01:15:45,755
So, you know, we clicked right away.
1196
01:15:46,381 --> 01:15:47,382
[grunts]
1197
01:15:48,133 --> 01:15:52,429
[Becker] The whole reason
for making this relationship work
1198
01:15:54,264 --> 01:15:55,432
is winning.
1199
01:15:55,432 --> 01:15:59,144
And-- And I'm not satisfied
until you hold up this trophy.
1200
01:16:14,034 --> 01:16:15,035
[crowd gasping, cheering]
1201
01:16:15,035 --> 01:16:17,370
[commentator 1 groans]
That's unbelievable.
1202
01:16:17,370 --> 01:16:18,413
[commentator 2] Isn't that?
1203
01:16:22,083 --> 01:16:24,586
[Djokovic]
That match was a roller coaster.
1204
01:16:24,586 --> 01:16:27,547
Roger on grass, he always
requires you to come out
1205
01:16:27,547 --> 01:16:30,425
as your best self in order
to have a chance to win.
1206
01:16:33,428 --> 01:16:35,555
[crowd gasps]
1207
01:16:36,765 --> 01:16:38,183
- [crowd cheering]
- [commentator 1 chuckles]
1208
01:16:38,183 --> 01:16:40,101
[commentator 2]
Game's changed a bit, hasn't it?
1209
01:16:40,101 --> 01:16:42,229
So a little tennis lesson
for free now for you.
1210
01:16:43,396 --> 01:16:45,732
Roger Federer changed his game.
1211
01:16:46,233 --> 01:16:48,443
He's standing there on the baseline.
1212
01:16:48,443 --> 01:16:52,447
He takes the ball much earlier.
He plays attacking on the returns,
1213
01:16:52,447 --> 01:16:56,326
surprising everybody
because he has the technique to do so.
1214
01:16:56,910 --> 01:16:59,663
It has to become second nature.
It has to become an instinct.
1215
01:16:59,663 --> 01:17:04,376
[crowd gasping, cheering]
1216
01:17:04,376 --> 01:17:08,338
[Becker] Novak has the ability to hit
the ball very quickly as a half volley.
1217
01:17:08,338 --> 01:17:10,590
Because he had to adapt to Roger.
1218
01:17:12,592 --> 01:17:14,302
[crowd gasping, cheering]
1219
01:17:14,302 --> 01:17:15,845
[Djokovic] It's a battle. It's a fight.
1220
01:17:15,845 --> 01:17:17,347
Unpredictable things happen.
1221
01:17:17,347 --> 01:17:19,641
Somebody takes you
out of your comfort zone, right?
1222
01:17:21,560 --> 01:17:22,561
[Djokovic] Come on!
1223
01:17:23,144 --> 01:17:24,813
[commentator 3] Djokovic is cross.
1224
01:17:26,147 --> 01:17:28,775
Novak is very emotional.
1225
01:17:28,775 --> 01:17:33,780
He always gets temperamental
when the crowd supports the other guy.
1226
01:17:34,281 --> 01:17:38,618
And he's using that to show
with the fingers, often to the crowd,
1227
01:17:38,618 --> 01:17:42,330
"You have woken me up now.
I'm gonna beat this guy."
1228
01:17:43,582 --> 01:17:45,375
But sometimes it backfires.
1229
01:17:48,086 --> 01:17:49,379
[crowd cheers]
1230
01:17:49,379 --> 01:17:51,965
He gets frustrated
and is losing his temper,
1231
01:17:51,965 --> 01:17:54,593
and his mind stops, and he loses.
1232
01:17:54,593 --> 01:17:57,053
The magic word is called balance.
1233
01:18:00,640 --> 01:18:03,226
[crowd shouts, cheers]
1234
01:18:03,226 --> 01:18:06,897
You know, having him there,
he was just so serene.
1235
01:18:06,897 --> 01:18:09,774
He was just so strong,
and he stood his ground.
1236
01:18:09,774 --> 01:18:11,943
He knows exactly what I'm going through.
1237
01:18:11,943 --> 01:18:14,195
"Okay, I'm back here again
where I need to be
1238
01:18:14,195 --> 01:18:15,906
and focused on the next point."
1239
01:18:21,286 --> 01:18:23,371
[crowd cheering]
1240
01:18:23,371 --> 01:18:26,958
Throughout the match,
there was a lot of oscillations, right?
1241
01:18:35,258 --> 01:18:37,219
[crowd cheering]
1242
01:18:37,219 --> 01:18:39,596
In those most important moments,
1243
01:18:39,596 --> 01:18:43,183
having Boris there just gave me that fuel
1244
01:18:43,183 --> 01:18:46,478
and that extra inch
to overcome the challenge.
1245
01:18:54,194 --> 01:18:56,655
[crowd gasping, cheering]
1246
01:19:02,202 --> 01:19:03,662
[crowd gasping]
1247
01:19:06,748 --> 01:19:09,084
[crowd cheering]
1248
01:19:14,548 --> 01:19:17,050
- [commentator 2] Oh, amazing.
- [crowd gasping, cheering]
1249
01:19:27,394 --> 01:19:29,271
{\an8}- [groans]
- [crowd cheering]
1250
01:19:29,271 --> 01:19:32,399
{\an8}[commentator 1]
It's Djokovic who claims this classic.
1251
01:19:32,399 --> 01:19:34,234
{\an8}[announcer] 6-7, 6-4, 7-6...
1252
01:19:34,234 --> 01:19:35,610
{\an8}[commentator 1] 6-4 in the fifth.
1253
01:19:35,610 --> 01:19:42,242
They hug, and so surely will these two.
Wonderful, wonderful final.
1254
01:19:44,119 --> 01:19:49,374
And he walks through the gate
to embrace friends and loved ones.
1255
01:19:50,834 --> 01:19:52,043
Well done, Boris.
1256
01:19:53,962 --> 01:19:56,965
[Djokovic] '14 was in a way,
a springboard, you know?
1257
01:19:56,965 --> 01:20:00,802
The big opening, you know.
That was a huge wind in the sails
1258
01:20:00,802 --> 01:20:05,348
that allowed us to really have
an incredible run
1259
01:20:05,348 --> 01:20:07,142
in the next two and a half years.
1260
01:20:07,142 --> 01:20:10,437
[crowd cheering]
1261
01:20:29,664 --> 01:20:32,918
{\an8}[interviewer] Djokovic went on
to win the next two ATP Finals
1262
01:20:32,918 --> 01:20:37,672
{\an8}and five of the next seven
Grand Slams, including the French Open.
1263
01:20:38,673 --> 01:20:42,552
But by the summer of 2016,
the relentless focus and pressure
1264
01:20:42,552 --> 01:20:44,012
began to take its toll.
1265
01:20:49,142 --> 01:20:51,853
{\an8}[Djokovic] If you want to be a champion,
it's all on you.
1266
01:20:52,854 --> 01:20:56,816
{\an8}I was going through a period,
um, where I was
1267
01:20:56,816 --> 01:21:00,153
really looking for myself somehow,
you know, off the court.
1268
01:21:00,153 --> 01:21:03,782
I could see a drop in intensity,
a drop in motivation.
1269
01:21:03,782 --> 01:21:07,035
Natural. I mean,
how much more you want to win.
1270
01:21:07,827 --> 01:21:10,330
[Djokovic] Played Wimbledon, third round.
1271
01:21:11,206 --> 01:21:14,501
There was a couple of rain interruptions
and I found myself in a room.
1272
01:21:14,501 --> 01:21:18,004
And I just-- I sat there,
and I told my team, "Can--" you know,
1273
01:21:18,004 --> 01:21:20,340
"Can everyone leave me?
I just want to be by myself."
1274
01:21:20,340 --> 01:21:24,135
And I just looked at the wall
and I was like-- just-- I was dull.
1275
01:21:24,135 --> 01:21:27,764
Literally no drive inside of me.
1276
01:21:27,764 --> 01:21:31,059
And then I knew that--
that he wants to tell me something.
1277
01:21:32,269 --> 01:21:35,438
He said,
"Listen, boss, I'm-- I'm a little tired.
1278
01:21:35,438 --> 01:21:37,857
You know, I don't want to play
the way I used to."
1279
01:21:41,111 --> 01:21:43,780
"Well, listen. First of all, I love you.
1280
01:21:44,531 --> 01:21:45,615
And I respect you.
1281
01:21:46,408 --> 01:21:48,243
And we've done something together
1282
01:21:48,243 --> 01:21:50,662
that's been an unbelievable journey
for me, Boris Becker.
1283
01:21:50,662 --> 01:21:53,456
I learned something about me
and about tennis
1284
01:21:53,456 --> 01:21:54,958
and maybe a bit about you.
1285
01:21:54,958 --> 01:22:00,380
Um... uh, uh, I'm not good at losing.
1286
01:22:01,506 --> 01:22:04,175
And if you want to go to Shanghai
or want to go to Paris
1287
01:22:04,175 --> 01:22:07,554
and you're happy to be there,
I'm the wrong guy for you.
1288
01:22:08,138 --> 01:22:09,472
I think we'd better stop."
1289
01:22:09,472 --> 01:22:11,975
[people chattering]
1290
01:22:14,144 --> 01:22:16,980
[Djokovic] Even after that,
we kept the relation going.
1291
01:22:16,980 --> 01:22:18,523
Like, we never stopped.
1292
01:22:18,523 --> 01:22:21,401
Because, you know, he was always there.
He's still there.
1293
01:22:21,985 --> 01:22:23,820
Boris is family to me, you know.
1294
01:22:23,820 --> 01:22:25,280
- [both] Shatzi!
- [speaks German]
1295
01:22:25,280 --> 01:22:26,197
Super.
1296
01:22:26,197 --> 01:22:27,532
- How are you?
- Good.
1297
01:22:28,074 --> 01:22:29,826
- It's good to see you.
- Let's go. Let's go, yeah?
1298
01:22:29,826 --> 01:22:31,328
- Here we go.
- Let's go, huh?
1299
01:22:31,328 --> 01:22:32,662
Here we go.
1300
01:22:32,662 --> 01:22:33,747
I like it. I like it.
1301
01:22:33,747 --> 01:22:35,165
- Now is important.
- Now...
1302
01:22:35,165 --> 01:22:36,416
- [laughing]
- Huh?
1303
01:22:37,584 --> 01:22:38,793
- Good. Good.
- Very good.
1304
01:22:38,793 --> 01:22:40,462
[in English] Yeah. [in German] I like it.
1305
01:22:40,962 --> 01:22:42,672
Everything's good, yeah. I'm fine.
1306
01:22:42,672 --> 01:22:44,925
But now you're a little...
1307
01:22:44,925 --> 01:22:46,301
a little more...
1308
01:22:46,301 --> 01:22:48,845
[in English] ...focus, huh?
1309
01:22:48,845 --> 01:22:51,264
- [in German] You know that.
- [in English] Good. Good. That's good.
1310
01:22:51,264 --> 01:22:52,724
- Hmm?
- [person speaks German]
1311
01:22:52,724 --> 01:22:54,017
- [chattering]
- [person in English] Okay.
1312
01:22:54,017 --> 01:22:56,186
[Becker] I want to learn something
from the master.
1313
01:22:56,186 --> 01:22:57,437
[laughs]
1314
01:22:57,437 --> 01:22:59,439
[Becker] How to return, how to move.
1315
01:22:59,439 --> 01:23:01,775
- [Djokovic] I'll try to come to the net.
- [Becker laughs]
1316
01:23:01,775 --> 01:23:03,526
[crowd chatters]
1317
01:23:05,445 --> 01:23:08,490
[interviewer] If you think about it,
tennis is a binary game
1318
01:23:08,490 --> 01:23:11,743
measured in hits and misses,
ones and zeros.
1319
01:23:11,743 --> 01:23:12,869
[chattering]
1320
01:23:12,869 --> 01:23:16,206
On the court, Boris knew
how to play with the numbers.
1321
01:23:18,458 --> 01:23:22,212
Off the court, he never seemed to know
how to make sense of them.
1322
01:23:22,212 --> 01:23:23,588
[tennis ball echoing]
1323
01:23:23,588 --> 01:23:25,674
[interviewer] I mean,
maybe the best way to start
1324
01:23:25,674 --> 01:23:26,800
is for you to explain.
1325
01:23:26,800 --> 01:23:28,885
'Cause I think--
I-I certainly don't understand it
1326
01:23:28,885 --> 01:23:30,929
and I think a lot of people
don't understand it.
1327
01:23:30,929 --> 01:23:33,848
How were you thrown
into bankruptcy in the first place?
1328
01:23:33,848 --> 01:23:35,141
[inhales sharply]
1329
01:23:35,141 --> 01:23:37,143
Um, good question.
1330
01:23:37,143 --> 01:23:40,188
Uh, uh, very few people
have actually asked me that.
1331
01:23:41,773 --> 01:23:45,610
I'm trying to, you know, explain it,
uh, uh, as best as I can.
1332
01:23:45,610 --> 01:23:48,572
Thank you, sir.
Thank you so much. God bless.
1333
01:23:48,572 --> 01:23:49,489
Awesome.
1334
01:23:49,489 --> 01:23:52,742
[Becker] A lot of athletes,
we believe that the amount of money
1335
01:23:52,742 --> 01:23:57,414
we earn during our careers
will continue to come in after.
1336
01:23:57,414 --> 01:24:00,667
So we don't adapt our lifestyles
quick enough.
1337
01:24:02,002 --> 01:24:05,589
You keep on spending money
that you don't make anymore.
1338
01:24:05,589 --> 01:24:08,258
You spend that money that you made before.
1339
01:24:09,009 --> 01:24:10,510
So, yeah, I'm blaming me.
1340
01:24:10,510 --> 01:24:11,761
[fans chattering]
1341
01:24:11,761 --> 01:24:13,138
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Boris.
1342
01:24:13,138 --> 01:24:14,097
- Boris.
- Thank you.
1343
01:24:14,097 --> 01:24:15,015
[young fan] Boris!
1344
01:24:15,015 --> 01:24:18,727
[Tiriac] I told him, I say,
"Boris, put the money in the bank
1345
01:24:19,603 --> 01:24:22,355
and be happy with two percent,
three percent, five percent.
1346
01:24:22,355 --> 01:24:23,732
You cannot spend it."
1347
01:24:24,941 --> 01:24:27,527
"No, no, no, no, no. I know investments."
1348
01:24:27,527 --> 01:24:29,738
I said, "Good. You want to play Monopoly?
1349
01:24:30,405 --> 01:24:34,284
Take five percent of all you have,
and that's millions and millions,
1350
01:24:34,284 --> 01:24:36,661
take it out and play with them.
1351
01:24:37,537 --> 01:24:40,916
And when you lose them all,
say, 'I learned a lesson.'
1352
01:24:41,708 --> 01:24:43,251
I learned a lesson."
1353
01:24:45,086 --> 01:24:48,298
But, uh, the child with a flame, huh?
1354
01:24:49,007 --> 01:24:53,345
And more important, the people around him...
1355
01:24:55,055 --> 01:24:56,348
taking advantage.
1356
01:24:58,558 --> 01:25:00,852
[interviewer] It's not hard to see
why a star like Boris
1357
01:25:00,852 --> 01:25:03,521
attracts people
who might take advantage of him.
1358
01:25:03,521 --> 01:25:06,441
He's charming, perhaps a bit naive.
1359
01:25:06,441 --> 01:25:09,277
He's bright and charismatic
and super famous,
1360
01:25:09,277 --> 01:25:11,863
the kind of guy
you always have a good time with.
1361
01:25:12,614 --> 01:25:14,658
He lives the way he played tennis--
1362
01:25:14,658 --> 01:25:18,161
charging the net, taking risks,
going for broke.
1363
01:25:18,161 --> 01:25:20,330
And for many years,
his business arrangements
1364
01:25:20,330 --> 01:25:23,917
with Hans-Dieter Cleven
allowed him to live like a rock star.
1365
01:25:24,501 --> 01:25:26,545
Cleven played the role of the producer,
1366
01:25:26,545 --> 01:25:29,256
picking up the tabs,
doing deals on napkins,
1367
01:25:29,256 --> 01:25:30,757
and taking care of the books.
1368
01:25:31,424 --> 01:25:35,262
Cleven always made sure
that Boris had enough cash to live large.
1369
01:25:35,262 --> 01:25:39,516
In return, Cleven got up to half
the upside from marketing Boris
1370
01:25:39,516 --> 01:25:42,018
and was able to share
the star's spotlight.
1371
01:25:42,602 --> 01:25:46,523
He attended Boris's wedding to Lilly
and threw them an Oktoberfest party
1372
01:25:46,523 --> 01:25:48,775
complete with dirndls and lederhosen.
1373
01:25:50,151 --> 01:25:52,320
Boris and Lilly
hung out with billionaires,
1374
01:25:52,320 --> 01:25:56,950
like John Caudwell, a Brit who founded
and sold a cell phone empire.
1375
01:25:57,576 --> 01:25:59,828
And they spent more and more time
in Mallorca,
1376
01:25:59,828 --> 01:26:03,123
expanding their finca,
a ten-bedroom mansion
1377
01:26:03,123 --> 01:26:05,041
on a 53-acre estate.
1378
01:26:06,793 --> 01:26:08,211
[pop music playing]
1379
01:26:08,211 --> 01:26:10,422
[announcer, in German]
Yes, Boris Becker, the tennis god
1380
01:26:10,422 --> 01:26:13,216
of yesteryear is now also in television.
1381
01:26:14,634 --> 01:26:17,679
Welcome to my finca in Mallorca.
1382
01:26:17,679 --> 01:26:19,556
Welcome to Boris Becker TV.
1383
01:26:20,515 --> 01:26:22,767
This is the entrance hall.
1384
01:26:22,767 --> 01:26:25,520
Up here on the right is the bedchamber.
1385
01:26:25,520 --> 01:26:27,564
And of course no cameras in there,
that is clear!
1386
01:26:27,564 --> 01:26:29,482
Let's go straight to the living room.
1387
01:26:29,482 --> 01:26:31,693
Maybe you'll see a fireplace.
1388
01:26:31,693 --> 01:26:33,528
We hired six Moroccans and worked
1389
01:26:33,528 --> 01:26:37,324
for half a year and cut out
all the individuals parts here.
1390
01:26:38,783 --> 01:26:40,201
I need sports to live.
1391
01:26:40,201 --> 01:26:43,872
And at my age,
jogging doesn't go so well anymore.
1392
01:26:43,872 --> 01:26:45,624
That's why I have to swim more.
1393
01:26:45,624 --> 01:26:47,751
And I can let off steam a bit here.
1394
01:26:50,837 --> 01:26:54,633
[in English] That house in Spain was
great, but I was living in Switzerland.
1395
01:26:56,509 --> 01:27:00,847
In 2012, Lilly said, "Do you mind, Boris,
moving to Wimbledon?" I said, "What?"
1396
01:27:00,847 --> 01:27:03,808
If there is one village
in-in the world that I love
1397
01:27:03,808 --> 01:27:05,310
and call home, it's Wimbledon.
1398
01:27:06,686 --> 01:27:09,898
They call me
the most popular German in Britain.
1399
01:27:10,523 --> 01:27:13,735
And my response to that is,
I don't think the list is very long.
1400
01:27:14,319 --> 01:27:16,905
I really feel at home.
Lived in London ever since.
1401
01:27:18,156 --> 01:27:20,200
[pedestrian] Hello, Boris.
Good to see you, sir.
1402
01:27:21,159 --> 01:27:23,954
[interviewer] Boris tells the story
as if he and Lilly had settled down
1403
01:27:23,954 --> 01:27:25,664
to a life of tea and crumpets.
1404
01:27:27,707 --> 01:27:29,709
But all that jet-setting was expensive,
1405
01:27:29,709 --> 01:27:32,671
and financially,
he still hadn't learned to keep score.
1406
01:27:35,340 --> 01:27:39,261
When Lilly wanted to leave Switzerland,
Boris split up with Cleven.
1407
01:27:39,844 --> 01:27:44,266
But that business divorce left him
with a Swiss tax bill of 3 million euros,
1408
01:27:44,266 --> 01:27:45,809
something he couldn't pay.
1409
01:27:46,309 --> 01:27:47,769
Since Cleven was gone,
1410
01:27:47,769 --> 01:27:51,690
Boris turned for help
to British bankers at Arbuthnot Latham
1411
01:27:51,690 --> 01:27:53,233
who offered a solution.
1412
01:27:54,276 --> 01:27:56,778
Boris could borrow 4.6 million euros,
1413
01:27:56,778 --> 01:28:02,033
secured against his future earnings
as a brand ambassador and TV personality.
1414
01:28:03,577 --> 01:28:04,744
Boris Becker!
1415
01:28:05,328 --> 01:28:07,289
[interviewer] Surely, one way or another,
1416
01:28:07,289 --> 01:28:10,417
England's favorite German
could make good on the loan.
1417
01:28:13,837 --> 01:28:17,299
The problem occurred that
after about a year into the loan,
1418
01:28:17,299 --> 01:28:20,051
I couldn't pay back
what I was supposed to pay back
1419
01:28:20,051 --> 01:28:22,721
because some of my contracts
have fallen away.
1420
01:28:23,305 --> 01:28:24,931
Scheisse.
1421
01:28:24,931 --> 01:28:28,101
If I-- I would have been an asshole,
I could have said,
1422
01:28:28,101 --> 01:28:30,729
"You made the contract. Bad luck."
1423
01:28:30,729 --> 01:28:35,984
But I wasn't an asshole. I said,
"I have a finca in Spain
1424
01:28:36,943 --> 01:28:40,530
that's valued at ten million euros.
1425
01:28:41,281 --> 01:28:43,533
So you have security of the finca,
1426
01:28:43,533 --> 01:28:47,913
and I have time to pay you back
from my future earnings."
1427
01:28:47,913 --> 01:28:53,627
But then we found out there was, um,
a charge on that finca
1428
01:28:54,753 --> 01:28:59,758
from a bridge loan
that I got from John Caudwell.
1429
01:29:00,508 --> 01:29:01,718
- John.
- Hi there. How you doing?
1430
01:29:01,718 --> 01:29:03,220
- Nice to see you. [laughs]
- Good to see you.
1431
01:29:03,220 --> 01:29:04,512
Thanks for your time.
1432
01:29:04,512 --> 01:29:06,514
You don't get this stuff
at IKEA, do you, John?
1433
01:29:06,514 --> 01:29:08,183
[both laughing]
1434
01:29:09,184 --> 01:29:10,936
[Becker] That loan,
because it was a bridge loan,
1435
01:29:10,936 --> 01:29:13,313
had 25% interest on it.
1436
01:29:13,313 --> 01:29:16,191
Why so high? Because, "A,"
I needed quickly that money,
1437
01:29:16,191 --> 01:29:18,652
and "B," I was gonna sell the finca
in the next three months.
1438
01:29:19,903 --> 01:29:22,239
[interviewer] Okay, you're going
to sell your house,
1439
01:29:22,239 --> 01:29:24,074
but you need money to fix it up.
1440
01:29:24,074 --> 01:29:27,661
So you take out a short-term,
high-interest loan.
1441
01:29:27,661 --> 01:29:29,204
But in the case of the finca,
1442
01:29:29,204 --> 01:29:32,666
the situation was a bit more desperate
than Boris had led on.
1443
01:29:33,750 --> 01:29:39,256
Boris owed contractors over 500,000 euros,
and he had many other debts and expenses
1444
01:29:39,256 --> 01:29:40,674
that needed his attention.
1445
01:29:41,633 --> 01:29:44,219
Would the loan be enough
to cover everything?
1446
01:29:45,345 --> 01:29:48,598
[interviewer] Why did you take out
that bridge loan, the 1.2 million?
1447
01:29:48,598 --> 01:29:50,976
I can't tell you
all the payments that are done,
1448
01:29:50,976 --> 01:29:54,396
but it was not done
for my personal benefits.
1449
01:29:54,396 --> 01:29:55,772
I had bills to pay.
1450
01:29:56,398 --> 01:29:59,734
My lifestyle was probably
still too expensive.
1451
01:29:59,734 --> 01:30:03,321
I had an ex-wife to pay.
I had four children.
1452
01:30:04,573 --> 01:30:09,494
It was not done for my personal benefit,
but to pay expensive bills.
1453
01:30:12,455 --> 01:30:15,000
[interviewer]
Boris never did fix up the finca.
1454
01:30:15,000 --> 01:30:20,130
And when word spread that nobody was home,
uninvited guests moved in.
1455
01:30:21,840 --> 01:30:25,802
♪ Twenty-five years
And my life, I'm still ♪
1456
01:30:25,802 --> 01:30:32,183
♪ I'm trying to get up
All this great big hill of hope ♪
1457
01:30:33,268 --> 01:30:35,812
For a destination ♪
1458
01:30:37,772 --> 01:30:40,984
[in German]
Does someone want to go for a walk?
1459
01:30:40,984 --> 01:30:42,944
Come on.
1460
01:30:47,866 --> 01:30:48,950
[cameraperson] A goal achieved?
1461
01:30:49,534 --> 01:30:50,660
[laughs]
1462
01:30:50,660 --> 01:30:51,745
For sure.
1463
01:30:51,745 --> 01:30:55,832
- [cameraperson] Oh.
- There, allegedly, Moroccans have come.
1464
01:30:55,832 --> 01:30:57,834
And they have done everything by hand.
1465
01:30:57,834 --> 01:30:59,211
[cameraperson laughs]
1466
01:31:00,545 --> 01:31:03,548
[speaking indistinctly]
1467
01:31:03,548 --> 01:31:05,217
Boris Becker's basketball court.
1468
01:31:05,217 --> 01:31:06,468
[cameraperson 2] Tennis court.
1469
01:31:06,468 --> 01:31:08,220
Oh, yeah, tennis court. [laughs]
1470
01:31:08,220 --> 01:31:10,430
The real racket.
With this, Boris Becker won
1471
01:31:10,430 --> 01:31:13,016
Wimbledon, '85, '86 too, '87 too.
1472
01:31:13,016 --> 01:31:16,645
["Divine Intervention" playing]
1473
01:31:16,645 --> 01:31:18,480
[dog barking]
1474
01:31:22,901 --> 01:31:25,445
There is still something left
of the birthday cake.
1475
01:31:26,696 --> 01:31:28,990
[exhaling deeply]
1476
01:31:40,627 --> 01:31:42,671
[cameraperson]
We are just sitting in the Jacuzzi...
1477
01:31:43,630 --> 01:31:46,633
in a Jacuzzi that Boris Becker has used.
1478
01:31:46,633 --> 01:31:48,969
That's the thing in the media right now.
1479
01:31:48,969 --> 01:31:51,888
But if you live like that
and let it go like that?
1480
01:31:55,433 --> 01:31:56,851
[horse neighing]
1481
01:32:01,565 --> 01:32:05,277
[in English] Talking about,
you know, once a very rich man.
1482
01:32:06,069 --> 01:32:08,405
I mean, even at the time of my bankruptcy,
1483
01:32:08,405 --> 01:32:10,490
believe it or not,
I was still a millionaire.
1484
01:32:10,490 --> 01:32:12,033
Then it was too late.
1485
01:32:12,033 --> 01:32:15,537
I-I had to pay taxes here,
child alimony there,
1486
01:32:15,537 --> 01:32:17,330
uh, financial-- you name it.
1487
01:32:17,330 --> 01:32:20,292
So I was just in a-- in a-- in a treadmill
1488
01:32:20,292 --> 01:32:23,295
trying to make enough money
to keep the boat afloat.
1489
01:32:24,087 --> 01:32:25,922
But the hole was already dug.
1490
01:32:27,173 --> 01:32:30,010
[interviewer] And the shovels
were getting more and more expensive.
1491
01:32:30,969 --> 01:32:36,266
At 25%, Boris's debt skyrocketed,
leaving him unable to pay.
1492
01:32:37,475 --> 01:32:40,854
So his British bank
successfully petitioned a court in London
1493
01:32:40,854 --> 01:32:42,814
to throw him into bankruptcy.
1494
01:32:44,232 --> 01:32:46,234
Bankruptcy was tough on Boris.
1495
01:32:49,321 --> 01:32:54,284
These two here are Renshaw Cups,
which are replicas of the original.
1496
01:32:54,284 --> 01:32:55,952
Undated, but... [continues indistinctly]
1497
01:32:55,952 --> 01:32:59,205
[interviewer] By law, the court appointed
a private lawyer named Mark Ford
1498
01:32:59,205 --> 01:33:01,958
to collect half of Boris's income
1499
01:33:01,958 --> 01:33:06,421
and to liquidate Boris's most precious
assets to pay off his creditors.
1500
01:33:07,214 --> 01:33:11,009
{\an8}It's the nature of a bankruptcy
that your assets,
1501
01:33:11,009 --> 01:33:15,055
{\an8}or certainly surplus assets
become available to your creditors.
1502
01:33:15,055 --> 01:33:17,641
{\an8}The process is those assets vest
in the trustee in bankruptcy,
1503
01:33:17,641 --> 01:33:20,060
and then it falls on them
to retain specialists
1504
01:33:20,060 --> 01:33:21,353
in order to sell them.
1505
01:33:23,063 --> 01:33:25,899
[Becker] As a player,
and it doesn't sound good,
1506
01:33:25,899 --> 01:33:27,984
but a trophy itself means very little.
1507
01:33:28,985 --> 01:33:31,863
What, you're gonna look
at trophies at 17 and 18?
1508
01:33:31,863 --> 01:33:33,365
How boring is that?
1509
01:33:33,949 --> 01:33:36,826
They mean only something
when you're older.
1510
01:33:36,826 --> 01:33:39,120
I like to show my trophies to my kids now.
1511
01:33:39,621 --> 01:33:40,622
I really do.
1512
01:33:41,790 --> 01:33:42,958
What can I do?
1513
01:33:53,510 --> 01:33:55,387
[interviewer] Suddenly, out of the blue,
1514
01:33:55,387 --> 01:33:58,640
a lifeline appeared
from a very unlikely source--
1515
01:33:58,640 --> 01:34:01,393
the Central African Republic.
1516
01:34:01,393 --> 01:34:04,312
The CAR was offering Boris
an important position
1517
01:34:04,312 --> 01:34:06,356
that might change everything.
1518
01:34:06,356 --> 01:34:08,900
He was invited to be a special attaché
1519
01:34:08,900 --> 01:34:12,445
for sports,
humanitarian and cultural affairs.
1520
01:34:12,445 --> 01:34:15,198
Boris owed his good fortune
to Stephan Welk,
1521
01:34:15,198 --> 01:34:18,577
who arranged for Becker's special
diplomatic passport.
1522
01:34:19,119 --> 01:34:22,330
Welk was a self-described
expert in diplomacy.
1523
01:34:22,330 --> 01:34:25,292
[Becker] Stephan,
I've never met the man before, said
1524
01:34:25,292 --> 01:34:29,713
the president and the ambassador
respect your international standing.
1525
01:34:30,505 --> 01:34:32,173
You know, "You do have
a mixed-race family,
1526
01:34:32,173 --> 01:34:35,760
so you understand some of the issues
better than most white people.
1527
01:34:35,760 --> 01:34:39,347
And they're considering giving you, um,
1528
01:34:39,347 --> 01:34:41,224
a seat at the Security Council
in New York."
1529
01:34:41,224 --> 01:34:43,810
I said, "Oof, that sounds serious."
1530
01:34:45,145 --> 01:34:48,273
Stephan said that we could use
the immunity status
1531
01:34:48,273 --> 01:34:50,901
to stop the bankruptcy proceedings.
1532
01:34:50,901 --> 01:34:52,944
And I said, "Hold on.
That's two different issues.
1533
01:34:52,944 --> 01:34:54,571
One has nothing to do with the other."
1534
01:34:54,571 --> 01:34:56,197
But you yourself have said,
1535
01:34:56,197 --> 01:35:00,410
"I have now asserted diplomatic immunity,
as I am in fact bound to do
1536
01:35:00,410 --> 01:35:02,287
in order to bring this farce to an end."
1537
01:35:02,287 --> 01:35:04,581
So you yourself have connected
the two things.
1538
01:35:04,581 --> 01:35:08,293
That's correct,
but one has nothing to do from the other.
1539
01:35:09,586 --> 01:35:11,463
[interviewer] I was confused.
1540
01:35:11,463 --> 01:35:14,716
On the one hand,
Boris's lawyers publicly stated
1541
01:35:14,716 --> 01:35:18,511
that his status as an ambassador
gave him immunity from bankruptcy.
1542
01:35:19,095 --> 01:35:22,390
Boris said that was true
but also not true.
1543
01:35:22,390 --> 01:35:24,184
One had nothing to do with the other.
1544
01:35:24,184 --> 01:35:25,977
[speaking German]
1545
01:35:25,977 --> 01:35:28,313
[interviewer] I wondered,
what was the point of view
1546
01:35:28,313 --> 01:35:30,190
in the Central African Republic?
1547
01:35:32,776 --> 01:35:36,696
If you want to find Boris Becker
in the Central African Republic,
1548
01:35:36,696 --> 01:35:41,284
where better to start
than the local tennis club?
1549
01:35:41,284 --> 01:35:43,578
Monsieur? Monsieur?
1550
01:35:43,578 --> 01:35:47,040
Where's Boris Becker? Where Boris Becker?
1551
01:35:47,040 --> 01:35:48,625
- The ambassador?
- [host] Yes.
1552
01:35:48,625 --> 01:35:50,377
- Right, the goodwill ambassador.
- [host] Yeah.
1553
01:35:50,377 --> 01:35:51,962
Right, right, right, right.
1554
01:35:51,962 --> 01:35:54,881
So he's not at the local tennis club.
1555
01:35:54,881 --> 01:35:57,425
How about a party full of diplomats?
1556
01:35:58,552 --> 01:36:03,056
It's a diplomatic hall. What do they think
about Boris being a diplomat?
1557
01:36:03,557 --> 01:36:05,600
- Well, you know the rumors around--
- They laugh!
1558
01:36:05,600 --> 01:36:06,810
Really? [laughs]
1559
01:36:06,810 --> 01:36:10,897
I am German, yes, but I haven't met
any German yet in town.
1560
01:36:10,897 --> 01:36:14,025
This is somebody that a lot of people
know, people respect,
1561
01:36:14,025 --> 01:36:17,612
and all of a sudden you're hearing stuff
like that and reading stuff like that.
1562
01:36:17,612 --> 01:36:19,739
And you-- you actually
don't know what to think.
1563
01:36:19,739 --> 01:36:21,575
Do you have
a Central African Republic passport?
1564
01:36:21,575 --> 01:36:22,826
Yes, I have.
1565
01:36:23,410 --> 01:36:26,496
[host] This is thought to be
the document presented in court
1566
01:36:26,496 --> 01:36:30,917
by Mr. Becker's lawyers as proof
he couldn't be prosecuted.
1567
01:36:31,418 --> 01:36:35,297
{\an8}So what does the man
whose signature's on it have to say?
1568
01:36:35,797 --> 01:36:37,966
{\an8}[official] It's completely fake.
1569
01:36:37,966 --> 01:36:42,971
Is Mr. Boris Becker a subject
in the investigation you're carrying out?
1570
01:36:42,971 --> 01:36:48,727
Ah, yeah. He participate
to have this passport in the wrong way.
1571
01:36:48,727 --> 01:36:50,520
I have a real passport.
1572
01:36:50,520 --> 01:36:53,273
Uh, uh, it's at the--
at the embassy in Brussels,
1573
01:36:53,273 --> 01:36:54,941
uh, the last time I checked.
1574
01:36:56,026 --> 01:36:58,820
And I said, "God, why me? Why me again?"
1575
01:36:58,820 --> 01:37:03,909
I believed the foreign minister,
and therefore, you know, it's a hoax?
1576
01:37:04,534 --> 01:37:08,204
My acquaintance Stephan,
I told him the facts of life.
1577
01:37:09,539 --> 01:37:11,458
{\an8}[interviewer]
Welk turned out to be a crook
1578
01:37:11,458 --> 01:37:13,543
{\an8}who was arrested for fraud and forgery.
1579
01:37:15,045 --> 01:37:18,006
Boris's diplomatic passport
turned out to be part of a batch
1580
01:37:18,006 --> 01:37:19,216
that had been stolen.
1581
01:37:20,800 --> 01:37:24,554
The fake passports were sold
to drug dealers and fraudsters.
1582
01:37:24,554 --> 01:37:28,016
And one ended up in the hands
of the son of a Swiss millionaire
1583
01:37:28,016 --> 01:37:30,894
who had his Ferrari intentionally blown up
1584
01:37:30,894 --> 01:37:33,230
so he could pocket the insurance money.
1585
01:37:33,980 --> 01:37:37,150
[reporter] Uh, looking up, Lilly.
Lovely. Thanks, Boris.
1586
01:37:38,526 --> 01:37:40,612
[Becker scoffs]
It was an interesting time.
1587
01:37:40,612 --> 01:37:43,740
Soon after, my wife filed for divorce.
1588
01:37:57,420 --> 01:37:59,965
We're still not financially agreed.
1589
01:37:59,965 --> 01:38:03,552
Now, as anybody that knows me,
I'm-- I'm a generous guy
1590
01:38:03,552 --> 01:38:05,136
and I want her to do well.
1591
01:38:05,136 --> 01:38:08,848
When I'm back on my feet,
back, uh, free and everything,
1592
01:38:08,848 --> 01:38:11,142
we will sit down and we're
gonna find a solution.
1593
01:38:18,483 --> 01:38:21,611
[interviewer] On the tennis court,
that's so often what Boris did,
1594
01:38:21,611 --> 01:38:22,696
find a solution.
1595
01:38:22,696 --> 01:38:24,197
[crowd cheering]
1596
01:38:24,197 --> 01:38:28,201
And it seemed like he'd found a solution
to his financial and legal problems too.
1597
01:38:30,579 --> 01:38:33,915
{\an8}The English bank accepted his finca
as repayment of his debt.
1598
01:38:34,874 --> 01:38:36,918
It seemed like Boris had won.
1599
01:38:36,918 --> 01:38:39,546
But then another opponent stepped forward,
1600
01:38:39,546 --> 01:38:42,632
his former partner, Hans-Dieter Cleven.
1601
01:38:43,300 --> 01:38:45,969
Hurt by the way Boris
had ended their relationship,
1602
01:38:45,969 --> 01:38:50,599
Cleven suddenly claimed that Boris
owed him over 40 million euros,
1603
01:38:50,599 --> 01:38:52,058
a claim Boris denied.
1604
01:38:52,642 --> 01:38:57,355
The two men battled twice in Swiss courts,
where Boris won both times.
1605
01:38:58,440 --> 01:39:00,358
But then, in a shock to Boris,
1606
01:39:00,358 --> 01:39:03,528
the English bankruptcy trustees
became convinced
1607
01:39:03,528 --> 01:39:05,989
that the debt to Cleven was real.
1608
01:39:05,989 --> 01:39:07,908
[Becker] The bankruptcy was gonna be over.
1609
01:39:08,450 --> 01:39:11,077
All of a sudden,
to the surprise from all of us,
1610
01:39:11,077 --> 01:39:14,581
the trustee accepted his claim
into the bankruptcy.
1611
01:39:14,581 --> 01:39:19,294
"A," why should I pay back any money
on what little grounds to that man?
1612
01:39:19,294 --> 01:39:21,254
And "B," I don't have it either.
1613
01:39:21,796 --> 01:39:24,966
Right? [laughs] So-- So what is my choice?
And hence,
1614
01:39:24,966 --> 01:39:28,261
I am-- I am now five years in bankruptcy
1615
01:39:28,261 --> 01:39:31,848
because of a claim that never was proved
anywhere in the world,
1616
01:39:31,848 --> 01:39:33,016
including Switzerland.
1617
01:39:34,309 --> 01:39:36,061
Do I understand this? No.
1618
01:39:36,645 --> 01:39:38,230
Is it happening? Yes.
1619
01:39:40,690 --> 01:39:43,109
[interviewer] It was hard to understand
the Cleven story.
1620
01:39:43,902 --> 01:39:46,571
Unless you thought of it
as a failed marriage,
1621
01:39:46,571 --> 01:39:49,449
beautiful at the beginning,
and messy at the end.
1622
01:39:50,450 --> 01:39:53,161
As part of their divorce,
Cleven brandished
1623
01:39:53,161 --> 01:39:55,038
what looked like a list of debts--
1624
01:39:55,914 --> 01:39:59,626
vague charges,
loan costs, private expenses.
1625
01:39:59,626 --> 01:40:01,002
All without receipts.
1626
01:40:02,754 --> 01:40:04,965
{\an8}While the Swiss courts
dismissed the claims,
1627
01:40:04,965 --> 01:40:06,967
{\an8}Becker had signed the document
1628
01:40:06,967 --> 01:40:08,677
{\an8}as a favor, according to Boris,
1629
01:40:08,677 --> 01:40:11,137
{\an8}to help Cleven with his tax deductions.
1630
01:40:12,097 --> 01:40:14,140
{\an8}When I found the document, I was stunned.
1631
01:40:14,724 --> 01:40:16,476
{\an8}What was Boris thinking?
1632
01:40:24,985 --> 01:40:27,654
Boris traveled to Zurich
for a final reckoning.
1633
01:40:28,780 --> 01:40:30,615
In a meeting room at the busy airport,
1634
01:40:30,615 --> 01:40:33,827
Boris and his lawyer tried
to hammer out a deal with Cleven.
1635
01:40:34,536 --> 01:40:38,498
After much haggling,
Cleven made an unusual offer.
1636
01:40:38,498 --> 01:40:42,168
Cleven would walk away
from millions of euros in claims
1637
01:40:42,168 --> 01:40:45,463
if Boris would just... come back to him.
1638
01:40:48,174 --> 01:40:50,552
That was not a price
Boris was willing to pay.
1639
01:40:51,344 --> 01:40:52,762
He returned to London.
1640
01:40:56,933 --> 01:40:59,102
London proved to be a legal trap.
1641
01:40:59,895 --> 01:41:02,606
The bankruptcy trustee
refused to let Boris
1642
01:41:02,606 --> 01:41:05,942
use his dwindling assets
to hire lawyers to sue Cleven.
1643
01:41:07,193 --> 01:41:11,197
Instead, the trustees sided with Cleven
and his claims against Becker.
1644
01:41:12,073 --> 01:41:15,201
Two months later,
a criminal prosecution began.
1645
01:41:16,328 --> 01:41:20,415
[prosecutor] Mr. Becker said,
"I didn't know" or, "I was badly advised"
1646
01:41:20,415 --> 01:41:25,045
or "My advisers told me not to do 'X'"
or "They told me to do 'Y.'"
1647
01:41:25,045 --> 01:41:29,591
{\an8}- [interviewer] You didn't buy that?
- No, that's why we're here. [laughs]
1648
01:41:30,258 --> 01:41:33,803
The defense essentially
accepted the facts.
1649
01:41:33,803 --> 01:41:35,805
Moneys had been transferred.
1650
01:41:36,389 --> 01:41:39,392
Properties existed,
and he had said that they didn't.
1651
01:41:40,352 --> 01:41:43,939
It all really came down to what, um--
what Mr. Becker said
1652
01:41:43,939 --> 01:41:46,524
he did and didn't know.
1653
01:41:46,524 --> 01:41:51,404
I was saying he was dishonest,
and he was saying that he was honest.
1654
01:41:52,822 --> 01:41:56,284
[interviewer] In the court of law and even
in the court of public opinion,
1655
01:41:56,284 --> 01:41:58,536
the case became a question of character.
1656
01:41:59,162 --> 01:42:03,416
Was Boris just reckless and naive,
or an entitled athlete
1657
01:42:03,416 --> 01:42:06,336
who just didn't feel he needed
to play by the rules?
1658
01:42:06,920 --> 01:42:08,755
Make Boris Rich Again.
1659
01:42:08,755 --> 01:42:11,550
[in German] And that is the sum
that came from you.
1660
01:42:11,550 --> 01:42:15,095
You donated €541.11.
1661
01:42:15,095 --> 01:42:17,138
[applause]
1662
01:42:17,138 --> 01:42:19,933
{\an8}Maybe we can give him the money there.
1663
01:42:23,311 --> 01:42:24,980
{\an8}Boris!
1664
01:42:24,980 --> 01:42:26,481
{\an8}We have another small gift for you.
1665
01:42:26,481 --> 01:42:28,108
{\an8}By Oliver Pocher and his audience.
1666
01:42:28,108 --> 01:42:31,319
{\an8}€532.38 as a gift. For you!
1667
01:42:31,319 --> 01:42:32,487
{\an8}Boris!
1668
01:42:32,487 --> 01:42:35,991
{\an8}Could you give a little wave?
At least wave at the money!
1669
01:42:44,916 --> 01:42:48,461
{\an8}Beginning today, Boris Becker will
have to answer in court in London.
1670
01:42:48,461 --> 01:42:50,547
[in English]
The trustee claims I'm not cooperative.
1671
01:42:50,547 --> 01:42:53,341
He thinks I'm hiding trophies,
I'm hiding this, I'm hiding that.
1672
01:42:53,341 --> 01:42:56,011
It gets to the criminal part of it.
1673
01:42:56,595 --> 01:43:00,223
Uh, and then they-- they go after you.
1674
01:43:03,560 --> 01:43:05,729
[interviewer] Paparazzi camped out
in front of the courthouse
1675
01:43:05,729 --> 01:43:08,565
to get a glimpse of Boris
and his girlfriend, Lilian,
1676
01:43:08,565 --> 01:43:10,442
as a lengthy trial ensued.
1677
01:43:12,569 --> 01:43:16,740
To the jury, the facts of the case,
hiding assets, or payments to ex-wives,
1678
01:43:16,740 --> 01:43:21,161
weren't as important as reckoning
with Becker's past, present and future.
1679
01:43:22,829 --> 01:43:27,125
Had he learned to tell the truth,
or was he still telling himself stories
1680
01:43:27,125 --> 01:43:32,005
about a 17-year-old who became a champion
too young for his own good?
1681
01:43:37,802 --> 01:43:40,931
Six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker
has been found guilty
1682
01:43:40,931 --> 01:43:46,353
of four charges, under the Insolvency Act,
relating to his 2017 bankruptcy.
1683
01:43:46,353 --> 01:43:50,690
{\an8}The sentencing judge said,
"While I accept the humiliation you felt
1684
01:43:50,690 --> 01:43:54,402
{\an8}as a result of these proceedings,
you've shown no humility."
1685
01:43:57,572 --> 01:44:01,826
[interviewer] Humility and humiliation,
I thought it was unfair somehow
1686
01:44:01,826 --> 01:44:04,079
for the judge to expect both.
1687
01:44:05,747 --> 01:44:08,625
It's like the way we
as fans expect our athletes
1688
01:44:08,625 --> 01:44:12,837
to be cruel on the court
and generous in the press conferences.
1689
01:44:13,922 --> 01:44:17,676
How does anyone,
even a child born at Wimbledon,
1690
01:44:17,676 --> 01:44:19,219
make sense of all that?
1691
01:44:22,013 --> 01:44:24,182
[Lilian Monteiro]
He was looking a lot at his past,
1692
01:44:24,891 --> 01:44:26,726
what he achieved, what he's done.
1693
01:44:27,936 --> 01:44:33,483
{\an8}In order to be a champion,
you have to believe you are invincible,
1694
01:44:33,483 --> 01:44:38,280
{\an8}you are untouchable,
you have to chase it until the end.
1695
01:44:38,280 --> 01:44:43,702
{\an8}And you have to do probably anything
in order to win that point, or that game,
1696
01:44:43,702 --> 01:44:45,245
or that set, you know?
1697
01:44:45,745 --> 01:44:50,000
So that, in my opinion,
1698
01:44:50,000 --> 01:44:57,007
probably brings you to a level
where you think you are untouchable,
1699
01:44:57,007 --> 01:44:59,509
also in real life, but it's not like that.
1700
01:45:03,680 --> 01:45:06,016
[Becker] But I wanted to speak to you
because, you know,
1701
01:45:06,016 --> 01:45:07,767
I may not get the chance anymore.
1702
01:45:07,767 --> 01:45:09,686
I'm sentenced in two days.
1703
01:45:10,395 --> 01:45:14,065
I'm just praying every day
that the sentencing is lenient.
1704
01:45:14,065 --> 01:45:16,401
Uh, ideally, a suspended sentence.
1705
01:45:16,943 --> 01:45:20,196
Uh, any sentence, of course,
I would accept, I have no choice.
1706
01:45:21,031 --> 01:45:23,199
Uh, so, this is where we are.
1707
01:45:24,576 --> 01:45:28,955
It's Wednesday afternoon,
Friday, I know the rest of my life.
1708
01:45:28,955 --> 01:45:31,833
[interviewer]
How have you been making sense of this?
1709
01:45:31,833 --> 01:45:33,835
What have you been thinking about
over the past--
1710
01:45:33,835 --> 01:45:36,004
[inhales deeply, sighs]
1711
01:45:46,681 --> 01:45:48,892
[clicks tongue, snorts] It's tough.
1712
01:45:48,892 --> 01:45:50,602
It's tough. [sniffles]
1713
01:45:53,271 --> 01:45:54,689
[clicks tongue, exhales deeply]
1714
01:45:57,400 --> 01:45:58,485
Very hard.
1715
01:45:59,486 --> 01:46:00,570
It's hard.
1716
01:46:02,447 --> 01:46:03,573
[stammers]
1717
01:46:05,867 --> 01:46:06,868
[exhales deeply]
1718
01:46:07,744 --> 01:46:10,455
I've-I've hit my-my... [stammers]
1719
01:46:10,455 --> 01:46:11,748
...my-my bottom.
1720
01:46:12,249 --> 01:46:14,251
I don't-- I don't know what to make of it.
1721
01:46:17,087 --> 01:46:18,380
I face it, you know?
1722
01:46:18,380 --> 01:46:22,008
I-I'm not gonna hide,
or run away, or-- You know?
1723
01:46:22,008 --> 01:46:23,760
I accept whatever sentence I get.
1724
01:46:24,302 --> 01:46:26,888
Um, there's a reason for this.
1725
01:46:26,888 --> 01:46:29,015
There's a reason why this is happening.
1726
01:46:29,015 --> 01:46:33,687
Um, my life has always been
a little different than most other lives.
1727
01:46:34,479 --> 01:46:38,984
You know, my upbringing was different.
Winning Wimbledon at 17 was different.
1728
01:46:39,943 --> 01:46:43,905
[inhales deeply] The next 36,
seven years since then has been different.
1729
01:46:43,905 --> 01:46:46,992
Uh, um, uh--
1730
01:46:46,992 --> 01:46:49,077
[interviewer] Um, I mean,
I don't know what to say,
1731
01:46:49,077 --> 01:46:51,288
except to wish you the best of luck
on Friday.
1732
01:46:51,288 --> 01:46:52,998
- Yep. Thank you.
- [interviewer speaking indistinctly]
1733
01:46:52,998 --> 01:46:55,500
Friday, light a candle, will you?
1734
01:46:56,501 --> 01:46:57,711
[match striking]
1735
01:47:11,182 --> 01:47:12,392
[camera shutter clicks]
1736
01:47:17,647 --> 01:47:21,067
So that's the scene on Centre Court,
and I'm delighted to say, joining me here,
1737
01:47:21,067 --> 01:47:23,403
first day, John McEnroe.
1738
01:47:23,403 --> 01:47:25,947
- We gotta savor every last day here.
- [reporter laughing]
1739
01:47:25,947 --> 01:47:27,240
[crowd chattering]
1740
01:47:27,240 --> 01:47:29,284
[McEnroe] And I'm gonna
keep it very short but sweet.
1741
01:47:29,284 --> 01:47:31,661
Boris. We love you. I miss you, man.
1742
01:47:36,499 --> 01:47:40,212
[Becker] Now I'm 54 years old, now,
that's not the end yet.
1743
01:47:41,213 --> 01:47:42,672
There's gonna be another chapter.
1744
01:47:44,174 --> 01:47:46,259
[crowd applauding]
1745
01:47:51,890 --> 01:47:53,266
- [thuds]
- [tennis player grunts]
1746
01:47:57,229 --> 01:47:59,231
[staff chattering]
1747
01:48:01,608 --> 01:48:02,442
Good morning.
1748
01:48:02,442 --> 01:48:03,944
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
1749
01:48:03,944 --> 01:48:06,404
- Good morning, yes. Thank you.
- [staff member] Have a good day, Boris.
1750
01:48:06,404 --> 01:48:08,114
- Thank you.
- Enjoy the rest of the day.
1751
01:48:08,114 --> 01:48:09,241
Thank you.
1752
01:48:10,867 --> 01:48:13,078
[people chattering]
1753
01:48:13,078 --> 01:48:14,913
[Monteiro]
You have to be vulnerable sometimes.
1754
01:48:14,913 --> 01:48:17,582
You have to admit your limits
and mistakes.
1755
01:48:19,709 --> 01:48:24,464
Maybe it's an opportunity
for him to close with his past,
1756
01:48:24,464 --> 01:48:27,467
that I think was haunting him for long,
long time.
1757
01:48:28,093 --> 01:48:33,306
This is just the end of a long journey
that started years ago.
1758
01:48:33,974 --> 01:48:35,767
[people chattering]
1759
01:48:41,690 --> 01:48:42,774
[Becker] My years.
1760
01:48:45,026 --> 01:48:46,528
It's all true what I'm saying, you know?
1761
01:48:46,528 --> 01:48:49,573
It really happened. It real-- [chuckles]
1762
01:48:54,119 --> 01:48:56,079
Always go left. Always go left.
1763
01:48:56,079 --> 01:48:58,164
[crowd applauding]
1764
01:49:28,528 --> 01:49:29,821
[in German] This is where it all started.
1765
01:49:44,044 --> 01:49:45,128
[chuckling]
1766
01:49:47,172 --> 01:49:51,635
[Tiriac, in English] Boris Becker
was born that day in London.
1767
01:49:52,260 --> 01:49:57,015
And then, from that day,
Germany adopted him.
1768
01:50:03,271 --> 01:50:05,232
[in German] It's nice here, right?
1769
01:50:10,946 --> 01:50:14,407
I mean, ultimately,
1770
01:50:15,367 --> 01:50:18,745
I know this sounds very poetic,
but this is where I was born.
1771
01:50:18,745 --> 01:50:22,999
That's why we are making this movie
and talk about Wimbledon
1772
01:50:22,999 --> 01:50:26,878
and the whole thing
because this is where it all started.
1773
01:50:26,878 --> 01:50:30,048
If I hadn't turned that match around
back then,
1774
01:50:30,048 --> 01:50:32,676
everything would've happened differently.
1775
01:50:34,844 --> 01:50:38,557
I was not mature enough at that point
1776
01:50:38,557 --> 01:50:42,852
for many things
that I was hit with afterwards.
1777
01:50:45,355 --> 01:50:48,900
Everything was very strict
and serious back then,
1778
01:50:48,900 --> 01:50:51,778
and that's why I said I would've
liked a few more years.
1779
01:50:55,407 --> 01:50:57,284
[Becker, in English]
You know, you can tell me,
1780
01:50:57,284 --> 01:50:58,868
"You could have had it easier.
1781
01:50:58,868 --> 01:51:01,830
You could have agreed to this, and, uh,
sugarcoated that..." [stammers]
1782
01:51:01,830 --> 01:51:03,290
...but that's not me.
1783
01:51:03,999 --> 01:51:07,002
Nobody told me to win Wimbledon at 17,
I just did it.
1784
01:51:07,669 --> 01:51:10,797
So this is part of my DNA,
and I'm proud of it.
1785
01:51:10,797 --> 01:51:12,048
This is who I am.
1786
01:51:14,718 --> 01:51:16,678
[laughing]
1787
01:51:32,819 --> 01:51:34,821
["Lawyers, Guns and Money" playing]