“Could have beaten him”
Boris Becker declares war on Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the big favorite to win Wimbledon. Boris Becker would also “never bet against Djokovic,” he says and praises his former protégé. At the same time, the 55-year-old says he knows someone who could beat him: the Boris Becker from back then.
Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic is currently the outstanding tennis professional on grass – but at his best, Boris Becker would have had a good chance against the Serb. “My game against him would have involved a lot of risk, but I could have beaten him on grass,” said the three-time Wimbledon winner to “Sport Bild”.
“I wouldn’t have had a chance against him on clay,” said Becker, who coached seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic from 2013 to 2016: “But on grass and indoors I would have played the way I just played – with a lot a lot of pressure and power. I would have tried to play the game very quickly and give him little time.”
For Becker, Djokovic is also the big favorite to win the currently ongoing 136th All England Championships in Wimbledon; with another title he would draw level with record winner Roger Federer (8 titles). “I would never bet against Djokovic,” said the German tennis idol.
Djokovic’s “greatest talent” is “that he can adapt to every player,” Becker continued: “I like to compare him with water – water finds its way and is hard to stop. Likewise Djokovic: When he has bitten into a game, As an opponent, you can’t get out of the vortex.” The 23-time Grand Slam winner is “the greatest competitor of all” on the tennis tour.
Becker himself cannot be there at Wimbledon. The reason is that he is currently not allowed to enter England after his prison sentence for making false statements in the insolvency proceedings. The 55-year-old will therefore watch the tournament on television.
