Watch: As he turns 50, a look at the greatest moments from Boris Becker’s glittering career

It’s almost surprising to think that it has been 32 odd years since Boris Becker broke onto the tennis scene. The six-time Grand Slam winner was Britain’s favourite German, not just for being the youngest Wimbledon winner, but for his enticing career which had 49 career singles titles. With his monster serve – that gave him his nickname ‘Boom Boom Becker’ – his delicious volleys and a willingness to throw his body all over the court, Becker had it all.

His career stats tell a story.

MAJOR TITLES (6) - Australian singles, 1991, 1996; Wimbledon singles, 1985, 1986, 1989; US singles, 1989.

SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS - Australian (29-9), French (26-9), Wimbledon (71-12), US. (37-10).

More than just the numbers though, Becker was a man who charmed his way to the hearts of millions of fans around the world during his playing career. His career would also go on to have countless controversies, as fame and wealth saw him get distracted, with the accusations of being a ‘playboy’ always surrounding him.

But for all that, at his peak, he was a tennis player who thrilled like few others.

As he turns 50, here’s a look at some of the best Becker moments.

When a 17-year-old unseeded teenager thrilled the world

A young, blonde German shocked the world in 1985 at the most hallowed venues in tennis – Wimbledon. Becker broke a whole bunch of records when, as an unseeded teenager, he beat eighth-seeded Kevin Curren, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, in the final. He was the first German to win men’s singles at Wimbledon, first unseeded player to go all the way and the youngest male ever to win a major at 17 years, 7 months. That record would eventually be broken by Michael Chang at French Open in 1989. Richard Krajicek in 1996 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 followed his unseeded route also went on emulate Becker as unseeded champions.

A Wimbledon repeat

To win at Wimbledon at 17 is no joke, no fluke. That Becker didn’t face McEnroe and Connors in his first Wimbledon title win or the fact that it came against Curren, who isn’t a Grand Slam champion, cannot diminish the sheen of that historic triumph. But this thorough defeat of world No. 1 Ivan Lendl put all the doubts of Becker’s calibre down. “Then, I was a nobody,” Becker told Los Angeles Times. “This time I really proved that I can play well on grass, proved that I am a legitimate Wimbledon champion.”

His epic rivalry with Andre Agassi

While Andre Agassi’s rivalry with Pete Sampras hogged the headlines in the 90s, the former revealed a secret rivalry with Becker in his tell-all autobiography Open, – the two didn’t really like each other that much.

In the late 80s, the rivalry bloomed as Agassi and Becker were dominating the tennis court. The German, though, dominated Agassi for the first three years the two faced each other.

Between 1988 and 1989, the pair met three times. In each instance, it was Becker who came on top. It was Becker’s serve that was considered to be the differentiating factor. As the competition grew so did Agassi’s drive to break Becker’s serve and snap his winless run against the German.

In the end the breakthrough came after the American noticed a small tick when Becker took serve.

Agassi said he spent endless hours watching tapes of Becker’s game, and soon he noticed the German’s tongue and how he would stick it out of his mouth just before tossing the ball for a serve. If it went to the left of his mouth he was serving wide towards the tramlines, if it remained in the middle the ball was staying central.

“I didn’t have a problem breaking his serve, I had a problem hiding the fact I could break it at will, I just didn’t want him keeping that tongue in his mouth,” Agassi said. “I told Boris after he retired. I told him at Oktoberfest, while we were having a pint. He fell off the chair. He said, ‘I used to go home and tell my wife – it’s like he reads my mind. Little did I know you were just reading my tongue’.”

An epic five-setter against Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras and Becker’s thrilling five-set epic from the year-end ATP Finals in 1996 in another all-time classic. While Sampras was at the peak of his powers, Becker was the defending champion at the event which was being played in front of his home crowd in Hannover. In a classic encounter, the American eventually prevailed 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 6-7(11) 6-4 over the German.

One of the greatest finals of all time vs Ivan Lendl

The ATP finals of 1988 was an epic. A marathon match, which lasted four hours and 42 minutes at Madison Square Garden between the legendary Ivan Lendl and the up and coming German Becker, finished just before midnight. The 21-year-old Becker outlasted Lendl, who was a finalist for a ninth year in a row at that event, 5-7, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(5).

With Becker leading 6/5 in the final tie-break, and serving for the match, they played a 37-stroke rally, resulting in a net cord winner off a Becker backhand.

“When the ball hit the net, I couldn’t see where the ball had landed. I was waiting for the umpire and the crowd’s reaction. I received it in an instant, the feeling of prestige and pride was vivid,” Becker recalled. “Beating Ivan in the final gave me even more satisfaction, he was incredibly dominant and an inspiration. I was playing some of the very best tennis of my life. Physically, it was one of the hardest matches of my life.”

Surviving a six-hour thriller vs McEnroe

Becker beat John McEnroe 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2 in Davis Cup, 1987.

Five-set marathons, for Becker, wasn’t new. For, in the Davis Cup second rubber against the United States, he pulverised a 28-year-old McEnroe with relentless, blistering volleys to gain West Germany a 2-0 lead. ‘’I’m trying, believe me,’’ McEnroe told his supporters after failing to clinch the second set at 11-10. But the trading of blows in the second and third sets left McEnroe gasping and emptied all the gas in his tank. “I gave it all I had, and it was a hell of a tennis match,” McEnroe told Los Angeles Times after the six-hour-20-minute trial of endurance. “I wish the results were different, but it’s nice to be a part of a match like that.”

Here’s the finale of that match.

And in 1988 he ended German’s long drought for a Davis Cup triumph.

Serving up another Wimbledon classic at 27

Becker beat Andre Agassi 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) in Wimbledon semi-finals, 1995.

At 27, Becker was a struggling rockstar. He was No. 3 in the world, yes. But not the ruling monarch of Centre Court he once was. This semifinal, Agassi, No. 1 in the world, was supposed to win. He was supposed to meet compatriot and archrival Pete Sampras for a mouthwatering No. 1 vs No. 2 title clash. And, things were proceeding as per predictions till the end of first set. A plethora of double faults, several line-call arguments suggested that Becker was feeling the nerves. Then, in the second set, the German seemed to rediscover his youth; he seemed to receive some replenishment of confidence from the grass that he once ruled. The drama ended after four sets with Agassi failing to break Becker’s grasp.

(Stats courtesy: ATP World Tour)