Former German tennis star Boris Becker on Sunday thanked world number one Novak Djokovic for his support while he was in a British prison, calling the Serb “probably the greatest player of all time”.
Presenting a new documentary about his on-pitch triumphs and off-pitch struggles at the Berlin Film Festival, the 56-year-old said his former student had been a steadfast ally.
“Novak Djokovic became a family member. You know we had a professional relationship for many years and broke up in 2016,” Becker said at a press conference.
“But we always stayed close and especially during my time in prison — he supported me, he supported my family.”
From 2014 to 2016, Becker coached Djokovic to six of his 22 Grand Slams – the Serb said he was “heartbroken” when his former coach was sentenced to prison.
– “Tennis Winning Machine” –
Djokovic speaks in the documentary Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, about how he learned about “mental toughness” under pressure from Becker while coaching him.
Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion and youngest Wimbledon winner at 17, thanked tennis legends John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg for taking part in the film alongside Djokovic.
“I am very proud that what is probably the greatest player of all time is part of a story by Boris Becker,” he said of Djokovic.
Becker credited Djokovic’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal with helping revitalize global tennis – the Serb’s win at the Australian Open last month put him level with the Spaniard with a record 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
Roger Federer, the third of the ‘Big Three’ that have dominated men’s tennis for the past 15 years, retired with 20 Grand Slam titles last year.
“Tennis has two kings at the moment, which is great,” he said. “That’s why tennis is very exciting again at the moment.”
Becker was deported from the UK to Germany in December after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence for breaching bankruptcy rules by selling £2.5 million ($3.1 million) in assets and loans US dollars) to avoid paying debts.
Since regaining his freedom, Becker said he’s relied on “blood brothers” to protect him in prison, revealing his life has been threatened twice behind bars.
The first of two parts of the documentary for Apple TV+ premiered at the Berlin Festival, Europe’s first major cinema showcase of the year.
In the film, Becker can be seen tearfully accepting his convictions and wrestling with the missteps of his life.
Becker said his tender age at becoming a global superstar and his reliance on ruthless advisors set him up for failure.
“Life as a tennis winning machine is a lot harder than it looks,” he said.
“We travel to a different city, a different country, a different continent every week and then we have to function. Every player deals differently with these expectations, this pressure and always tries to win.”
Becker admitted he had “frailties and some dark moments,” but said he thinks his tumultuous life lends itself to cinema.
“My life seems like a movie to me,” he told reporters. “It was just real.”
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