'Nothing Compared To Prison': Becker 'Laughs' Off Tennis Players Complaints

Tuesday, 14 November 2023 at 18:00

bySebastian Dahlman

Boris Becker never thought he'd spend time in prison many years ago, but it happened and shifted his perspective forever.

Becker was once a highly respected individual, and while his reputation took a hit with the sentencing and prison time, the former German ATP player is still grateful for the experience.

It was a challenging experience for him, one which he spoke about often since coming out, but it also shifted his perspective. It allowed him to self-reflect, and here he is, rebuilding his reputation as a tennis person first and foremost.

He's coaching Holger Rune as of recently, and he's doing a pretty fine job. Rune credits him for pulling him out of a major slump, which helped him find himself in Turin. He talked about his experience in a recent interview with L'Equipe.

You are nobody in prison. You are just a number. Mine was A2923EV. I wasn't called Boris. I was a number. And they don't give a fu*** who you are. I think I rediscovered the person I used to be. I learned a hard lesson. A very expensive one. A very painful one. But the whole thing has something important and good for me learned. And some things happen for a good reason.

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It's all about perspective in life, and Becker had a really sobering one happen to him in prison. It's why he has a pretty cool mindset about pressure right now, which might have rubbed off on Holger Rune, who seemed in his head a lot in recent weeks.

When I hear players complaining about the pressure they feel at one point, I laugh. When I hear players complain about the quality of the lounge food, I laugh. When I hear players complaining about training and the conditions on the pitches, I laugh. It means nothing compared to spending time in prison. On the first and last night you don't sleep for a second.