Boris Becker recently revealed that Andre Agassi’s emergence on the ATP Tour marked the beginning of the end of his own career. The German admitted he was “upset” by the American legend’s rise, but acknowledged that Agassi was the better player.
During an appearance on Virgin Radio UK this past week, Becker was asked about his former rival Agassi. The host mentioned that Becker did not take Agassi seriously when he emerged on the tour, but by the time the German legend started showing any form of respect to the American, ‘the train had left the station.’
Becker agreed that the situation was as narrated by the host and went on to explain the scenario. He reflected on his early rise to fame in 1985, recalling how he was immediately branded a “new superstar.” It was a label he admitted he enjoyed. He acknowledged that, like many athletes, he appreciated the attention.
However, things changed in the early 1990s with the arrival of Andre Agassi.
“So, when he came on the scene in the early nineties with his long colourful hair and the earrings and you know the born and raised in Vegas, I thought he was a clown, but he took all the publicity, all the attention away from me,” Boris Becker said (from 6:00).
Becker found it difficult to accept. He admitted feeling deeply upset by Agassi’s rise.
“[To] make matters worse, he was a really good tennis player. Then he started to beat me and he took away all that status that I had, so I was seriously, you know… I was very upset. I was very upset about the arrival of Andre Agassi. I didn’t like it,” he added.
In 2009, Agassi recalled hurtful remarks Becker made after their 1995 Wimbledon clash. Though tensions once ran high, Becker now shows deep respect and calls Agassi the better player.
Boris Becker admits Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were ‘better’ than him
Boris Becker and Andre Agassi greet each other at the 2017 French Open – Source: GettyBoris Becker and Andre Agassi greet each other at the 2017 French Open
During the same interview, Boris Becker openly admitted that both Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were superior players, and their dominance played a major role in his decision to retire. Reflecting on his mindset, Becker explained that he had always played tennis with the goal of winning.
“I always played tennis to win, I always played tennis to win Wimbledon and to be the number one player… I didn’t want to play just to be part of it or to be happy with the semi-final. But when Agassi and Sampras came along, they were clearly better than me,” Boris Becker said.
This realization was difficult to accept and ultimately led to his early retirement.
“Hence the reason I started to retire, even though I was still a pretty young tennis player,” he added.
Becker retired in 1999 at the age of 32. Five out of six of his Grand Slam titles came in between 1985 and 1991. As the 1990s proceeded, the likes of Agassi and Sampras took center stage. Agassi led the head-to-head against Becker 10-4, while Sampras led 12-7.
