Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

'Fame is a real high price' - Becker on success and celebrity status

Written by 
Published in Tennis
Wednesday, 10 July 2019 22:08

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker says he often found it hard to cope with fame during his career and has warned modern players of the price of being in the public eye.

Becker was thrust into the spotlight when he won Wimbledon in 1985 aged 17.

His rise to stardom has drawn comparisons with American Coco Gauff, who reached the last 16 at Wimbledon this year at the age of just 15.

"Once you're famous, you're famous. But it's a real high price," Becker said.

"You're sitting having a coffee with someone and you're headline news the next day.

"Just to compare it with the craziness we are witnessing now with Coco Gauff and she only reached the fourth round."

Becker, who won six Grand Slams during his career, was one of the biggest sports stars in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s.

Now 51, he says he found it daunting to carry the hopes of a nation, particularly when competing for his country at the Davis Cup.

However, he thinks things are much harder now for modern players with the added pressure of social media and the internet.

Speaking to the Don't Tell Me the Score podcast, Becker said: "I was still very young and felt intimidated by the scale of it, carrying a whole country. What happens if I fail? Have I disappointed all of you? And so expectations got out of hand a little bit.

"If I lost in the final it was like somebody died and people would criticise you on a personal level.

"You are walking down the street and big newspapers followed you every step of the way.

"But in those days we had no internet and no social media, I couldn't imagine what it would be like.

"It's so easy to post something on social media without any truth in it and yet you have to prove otherwise. That's not right."

Becker also questioned the rise of celebrity culture and the impact it has on young people.

"We're living in strange times, celebrity culture is at an all-time high, but it is not the truth," he said.

"I am a celebrity because I've done something unusual but a lot of people are celebrities these days because they are a celebrity. They've never done anything in their life that is extraordinary other than being famous.

"So it is very difficult for young children. Do you want to be famous and successful? If so how is it defined?

"If you have 10 million followers on Twitter does that mean you are successful? We are living in dangerous times of value and what means what."

Despite the pressures of fame, Becker says he had no regrets and that being a celebrity does have its upsides.

"You always get a seat in a restaurant. You can bend the rules a bit if you're famous," he added.

"Some of the old stories haunt me, but I smile about it. For me winning tennis matches was far more important.

"If someone said 35 years ago that I would have the success I had now, I would sign straight away."

Read 534 times

Soccer

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

NL quarterfinal draw: Spain to face Netherlands

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe draw for the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals was made on Frid...

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

Premier League injury and suspension news, predicted lineups, fantasy updates

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFind out who is missing through injury, who's in a race against tim...

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

Premier League changes APT rules after City case

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Premier League has announced changes to its Associated Party Tr...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

Pistons' Cunningham exits vs. Hornets after fall

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Detroit guard Cade Cunningham left Thursday nigh...

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

George has bone bruise, to miss at least 2 games

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPhiladelphia 76ers star Paul George has a bone bruise in his left k...

Baseball

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

Ohtani 'slowly ramping up' in post-surgery rehab

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani is in the early stages of rehabbing fr...

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

City OKs, then reverses $23M to fix Rays' stadium

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The St. Petersburg City Council reversed co...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated