Amritraj behind my nickname: Becker

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Boris Becker, a quiet boy from Liemen, Germany, who went against his parents’ wish in choosing tennis as a career, emerged the youngest-ever Grand Slam champion at 17. Within an year he was earning in millions, owning fancy cars and with thousand of fans worldwide.

Almost 45 now, Becker’s game was based on a powerful and well-placed serve, that earned him the nickname Boom Boom from none other than Vijay Amritraj.
“At 16, I became a pro and one day I was practising with Vijay. He was very talkative and told me he had never seen anybody hit the ball so hard and started calling me ‘Boom Boom’. That’s how I got my nickname,” recalled the six-time Grand Slam winner here on Saturday.
A legend himself, Becker was all praise for Roger Federer calling him an exceptional player.
“There are a plethora of players who have excelled. Tennis has a rich history but I think Roger Federer is untouched, with 17 Grand Slam titles. He is a family man, speaks five languages and has a successful business,” Becker said.
Becker also emphasised on the racquet and string technology that had revolutionised the sport.
“Technology has changed the face of tennis. The sport has become faster but I don’t know if it is better or not.
“Media has also played a big role in making the sport more glamorous. Now a lot of money is involved and it has become a big business. Players have to now come up with perfect interviews and speeches. You can see each and every emotion coming in on a player’s face,” the Olympic gold medallist said.
Becker added that players have matured a lot.
“In our times, we used to see teenagers win Grand Slams and by 25, they started to think of retirement. But now most start their careers by 22-23. May be the reason is the pressure of media exposure and cut-throat competitions.”
Asked about his best opponent till date, he said, “I was blessed that I got a chance to play three-four generation of world class players. I played in an era when there was John McEnroe, Bjorn Bjorg to the likes of Pete Sampras and Michael Chang to the players in the mid 90’s. It’s a very difficult question because tennis is an individual sport where every opponent is important.”
Match-fixing and doping have plagued almost all sports, but tennis relatively has had an all-clear record where not a single Grand Slam champion has tested positive yet.
“Tennis was a part of the Olympics movement in 1984 and the players were tested throughout the year. Being an individual sport, you cannot afford to cheat,” he said.
Meanwhile, the legend came out in support of the lengthy ATP season, saying it was good for the sport.
“I think a long season is good because when you play a lot of tournaments in a short span, it can backfire. The players will be injured often.
“Everyone wants to protect their rankings and need to play more tournaments. Too many tournament in a shorter time frame can be dangerous,” the German added.
Talking about Indian tennis, Becker said he was hopeful of the country producing Grand Slam champions.
“I don’t think it is impossible. India is a sport-loving country and children are interested in tennis. I played against Ramesh Krishnan, Mahesh Bhupathi... they were all talented. But why should it not be possible now?”