Boris Becker
He exploded onto the tennis scene as a brash, diving teenage prodigy, becoming the youngest man ever to win the Wimbledon championships.
Born 1967 (age 59)·German tennis player, coach, and commentator·Birthday: November 22·Generation X
Biography
Boris Becker didn't arrive on the tennis scene; he cannonballed into it. At 17, unseeded and with a shock of red hair, he spent the 1985 Wimbledon fortnight hurling his body across the grass courts of the All England Club with a fearless, power-serving game. His victory made him an instant global sensation and a symbol of a new, aggressive era in tennis. The 'Boom Boom' from Leimen, Germany, played with a visible, combustible passion, winning two more Wimbledon titles and leading his country to Davis Cup glory. His rivalry with Stefan Edberg defined the sport in the late 80s. Becker's post-playing career has been as dramatic as his on-court heroics, encompassing high-profile coaching, commentary, and well-publicized financial and legal difficulties. Yet, his legacy remains that of the precocious teenager who changed what was possible in the sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Boris was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Boris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Boris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest male singles champion in Wimbledon history at age 17 in 1985.
- Won six Grand Slam singles titles, including three Wimbledon championships (1985, 1986, 1989).
- Led West Germany to Davis Cup victory in 1988 and 1989.
- Won an Olympic gold medal in doubles with Michael Stich at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
- Achieved the world No. 1 ranking in 1991.
Did You Know?
He won his first Wimbledon title as an unseeded player, a rarity in the modern era.
He famously proposed to his first wife, Barbara Feltus, on the court after winning the Australian Open in 1991.
He briefly coached Novak Djokovic, helping him win multiple Grand Slam titles between 2013 and 2016.
He once lost a Wimbledon match to a player ranked 600th in the world, Michael Stich, who was his future Olympic doubles partner.
“You are only as good as your last match. The past doesn't matter.”
