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Boris Franz Becker (b. November 22, 1967 in Leimen, Germany) is a former German tennis player.
Personal life
He is the only son of an architect who built the center where Becker and Steffi Graf played against each other as children.
On December 17, 1993, he married Barbara Feltus, the daughter of an African American serviceman and a white German woman. Before the marriage, they shocked the country by posing nude for the cover of Stern (which was taken by her father). After the shock of their coupling faded, Boris and Barbara became the model for a New Germany. Becker gained the respect of his countrymen for his stance against racism and intolerance.
However, all that changed when he asked Barbara for a separation. Becker claims he merely wanted some time out. But, she flew to Miami, Florida, USA, with their sons, Noah and Elias, and filed a petition in Miami-Dade County Court, sidestepping their prenup, which had entitled her to a single $2.5 million payoff. The January 2001 pretrial hearing was broadcast live to Germany. Germans sided with "Babs" as her lawyer made Becker out to be a cad. He was granted a divorce on January 15, 2001; she got a $14.4 million settlement, their Florida condo, and custody of Noah and Elias.
His after-tennis life has been plagued by scandal. On February 8, 2001, DNA results forced him to admit paternity of a daughter, Anna (b. March 22, 2000), by Russian-African model Angela Ermakova. The child was conceived in the cupboard of a London restaurant after a drunken Becker fought with Barbara, who then left; Ermakova was a waitress there. He at first denied paternity, and his lawyers suggested that Ermakova was part of a blackmail plot devised by the Russian Mafia. In July 2001, he agreed to pay her $5 million.
He was convicted of tax evasion on October 24, 2002 when he admitted he lived in Germany from 1991-93 while claiming to reside in the tax haven of Monte Carlo. He was given two years' probation, fined $500,000, and ordered to pay all court costs.
Tennis career
On July 1, 1985, he became the first unseeded player, the first German, and the youngest man (17 years, 7 months) to win Wimbledon. Becker won 49 singles overall - including 2 more Wimbledons (1986, 1989), the Australian Open (1991, 1996) and the U.S. Open (1989) - 15 doubles, and 2 Davis Cups, and a record-equalling four singles titles at Queens Club. Besides Becker won the year-end championships multiple times (1989, 1992, 1995). He also won the 1992 Olympic Men's tennis doubles title with Michael Stich. His career prize earnings totalled $25,080,956.
He now plays on the Senior ATP Tour. His tell-all autobiography was published in November 2003. Becker is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
Grand Slam titles (6)
1985 Wimbledon Kevin Curren 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4
1986 Wimbledon Ivan Lendl 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
1989 Wimbledon Stefan Edberg 6-0, 7-6, 6-4
1989 U.S. Open Ivan Lendl 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6
1991 Australian Open Ivan Lendl 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
1996 Australian Open Michael Chang 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
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