Boris Becker has continued to stay prominent on the ATP Tour even after he retired from the game in 1999. In a recent tweet, Becker has shown support for Roger Federer. Both players have been stars during their time. Becker, in his tweet, agreed with Federer’s opinion of the unwanted pressure on the youngsters playing on Tour.
Roger Federer mentioned Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as major contenders for Grand Slams but didn’t want them to play under heavy expectations. The sport notably exerts pressure, particularly on young champions. Becker is one of the players who experienced success when he was just 17 years old. He won the Wimbledon title in 1985 and successfully defended the following season.
Hence, the German must have thought of that before agreeing with Federer’s observations that pressure affects young players. Becker tweeted “Word,” while reposting Federer’s words.
However, things have not always been smooth between Becker and the Swiss maestro. They could never play against each other as Federer had turned professional in 1998 and they were not matched up against each other in months that followed as Becker retired in 1999. They remained friends for a few years until there was a dispute between both regarding Federer’s image on the court.
Becker wrote a few lines about Federer’s image in his book, “Wimbledon: My Life and Career at the All England Club.” The book was published in 2015. Becker wrote that Federer would have considerably less money if he showed his true self on the court.
“The reason Roger is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time is because he’s liked by everybody. But think about this – you can’t possibly be liked by everybody. He makes good money out of his image, but would he make less if we saw a bit more of his true feelings?”
The comments did not go well with Federer. The 20-time Grand Slam champion felt that it is essential for role models to behave in front of children. He also spoke about his upbringing and was taught to be polite from childhood. Federer was quoted as saying to USA Today Sports back then –
“I don’t really know what he was trying to say. I know him somewhat well and we get along really well. He was a hero of mine. It’s odd to hear that. I don’t try to please everyone. I’m just trying to be myself.”
“Does [Becker] get carried away by seeing too many advertisings [of me]? Maybe. And then he thinks, ‘Oh, that’s [Federer’s] image.’ But he knows very well who I am.”
“Books are there to be sold. I read into that [comment] a bit more like that.”
Even though Becker later informed that he had been misquoted, it caused a dent in their friendship.
Now it seems that Becker has rekindled his friendship with Federer. The 56-year-old has even praised Federer for his game. Becker said that only Federer could have survived on the ATP Tour if he played in the 80’s, when he attended a Hindustan Times Leadership Summit Event in the Indian capital city of New Delhi back in 2012. Federer’s ability to serve and volley, alongside his skill in hitting the ball well from the baseline, impressed him.
Things look better at present between Becker and Federer. While Becker actively involves himself in the sport, Federer also dedicates time on the court, particularly during the Laver Cup. Fans are waiting for both to step into significant roles for the sport of tennis to grow.
