Product Description

The no-holds-barred autobiography of a sporting genius. Boris Becker shot to fame in 1985 when at seventeen years old, he became the youngest player ever to win the men's final at Wimbledon. He went on to win two more Wimbledon titles, and a total of forty-nine singles and fifteen doubles crowns, making him one of the greatest players of the twentieth century. But his life off the court has always attracted as much attention as his triumphs on it. Now, in this remarkably candid and thought-provoking autobiography, Boris Becker tells the real story behind the headlines. He speaks of the seconds before the serve that made him the youngest Wimbledon winner of all time, and of the minutes after being sentenced as a tax evader. He talks about his marriage, his illegitimate daughter, and his painful divorce. He reveals his emotions at the end of his tennis career, and his battles with pills and alcohol. He also shares his memories of the good times, the championship wins, the make-or-break matches, and the highs and lows of life on the international circuit. Boris Becker has written this autobiography not just for his fans but also for his children, that they may one day read the true account of their father's remarkable, and often controversial, life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10979 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 366 pages

From the Back Cover
Boris Becker shot to fame in 1985 when at seventeen years old he became the youngest player ever to win the men’s final at Wimbledon. He went on to win two more Wimbledon titles, and a total of forty-nine singles and fifteen doubles crowns, making him one of the greatest players of the twentieth century. But his life off the court has always attracted as much attention as his triumphs on it.
Now, in this remarkably candid and thought-provoking autobiography, Boris Becker tells the real story behind the headlines. He speaks of the seconds before the serve that made him the youngest Wimbledon winner of all time, and of the minutes after being sentenced as a tax evader. He talks about his marriage, his illegitimate daughter, and his painful divorce. He reveals his emotions at the end of his tennis career, and his battles with pills and alcohol. He also shares his memories of the good times, the championship wins, the make-or-break matches, and the highs and lows of life on the international circuit.
Boris Becker has written this autobiography not just for his fans but also for his children, that they may one day read the true account of their father’s remarkable and often controversial, life.

About the Author
Born in Leimen, West Germany, in 1967, Boris Becker burst onto the international tennis scene in 1985 when, as an unknown 17-year-old, he rewrote the record books by beating Kevin Curren and winning the men's final at Wimbledon. Not only was he the youngest player ever to win the title, he was also the first unseeded player and the first German. His exuberant, athletic style - hurling himself all over the court and making seemingly impossible shots - immediately endeared him to millions. On the back of his enormously powerful serve, he took the world of tennis by storm and by 1991 he was the world's number one. His extraordinary career includes three Wimbledon men's singles titles (he reached the final seven times in ten years) among a total of 49 singles and 15 doubles crowns, and he became the second youngest player (after Bjorn Borg) to be inducted into tennis's Hall of Fame. Retiring from the pro-tennis scene in 1999, Becker refused to fade away - his name simply moved from the back pages of newspapers to the front. After losing his last match at Wimbledon to Pat Rafter, he set out on a night of binge drinking which culminated in the infamous Nobu broom cupboard incident. As a result, his high-profile marriage to model Barbara Feltus broke up in an equally high-profile divorce. He was back in court again soon afterwards with tax problems.

Customer Reviews

Contradiction
I have to say being a newcomer to reading autobiographies, i didn't have high expectations of 'The Player' Not because i dislike Boris Becker as either a Tennis player or an Author, I just didn't know what to expect.
Honestly i have to say it's one of the most interesting books i've read. To put everything on show, your relationships, your private life and children, your career and everything that matters the most to you is hard to do because regardless of who you are there are going to be things in life that you've done, that you regret or wish hadn't happened the way it did.
People have previously said that the book isn't the easiest to read, that the chapters are broken up and in no particular order. But i think that even though there is a chronological order to things in life, when you're reliving them as you write it doesnt come out like that and i think that this shows when reading.
Admittedly even i have a complaint about the translation..its a little etchy in places but generally it's consistant and of a good quality.
This book has given me a lot more respect for Boris as a person. He's honest and isn't afraid to talk about any of his experiences. I definetly recommend this to people interested in either him or just a good read!

Where is the depth?
Becker's life should make a fascinating read. His dramatic entrance onto the world tennis stage heralded the rise of the modern power tennis game and the demise of the old gaurd. His long and successful tennis career spanned some of the tennis greats and encompassed some truely memorable moments. Combined with a turbulent personal life (divorce, illegitimate child, criminal charges), there was plenty of material to produce a "thought-provoking" book. I wanted to know how a strong-willed, provincial boy coped with fame, fortune and adversity and how he developed as a man. I was disappointed.

In contrast to John McEnroe's book, there is little sense of the pressures, intensity and loneliness of being at the sport's summit. The writing lacks depth and too much emphasis is placed on media comment rather than on Becker's own thoughts. The coverage of his tennis career is uneven (Stefan Edberg scarcely gets a mention) and there are no illustrative photographs. I did not get a good sense of how events changed and shaped him or how he matured and developed as a player and as a person.

The book is padded out by some dull, uninspiring and predictable anecdotes (courage of Mandela, charisma of Ali etc) and inexplicable digressions into third-rate travel writing (Paris taxi drivers, New York rudeness etc). At times, Becker descends into an ungracious rant against past injustices which becomes tedious.

Ultimately, the book is not thought-provoking and does not provide insights into a rarified world. Either Becker chose not to include it or he lacks the self-awareness or intelligence to learn from experience.

THE PLAYER
I feel that Boris Becker should be commended on writing a book which depicts the facts and the truth without being over indulgent in detail. I was a fan of Boris Becker, the tennis player, and I did hope to read a little more about his career titles and rivals. I also think that his career perhaps ended quite abruptly and like John McEnroe it is perhaps difficult for Becker to attain the same fulfilment that tennis brought to him -hence his difficulties since retiring. I also feel that the book demonstrates that fame and money can compromise talent and this is evident in Boris Becker, who quickly lost that innocent, uninhibited image. I think that the book is definately worth reading!