Boris Becker

Former tennis champion Boris Becker says he sympathises with Tiger Woods, whose life is in turmoil after he admitted cheating on his wife.

Becker, 42, who fathered a child with a Russian model after a brief sexual encounter in a cupboard at a London restaurant while his wife was pregnant, said he could identify with the golf star.

"I experienced exactly the same and I can sympathise with him," the German newspaper Bild quoted Becker, winner of six grand slam titles, as telling a TV show to be aired later on Monday.

Men's Serve

The Best: Pete Sampras

When you look at the serve, the key thing is not just the percentages and the damage done with first serve winners, it is when you can produce those serves. For me, Sampras (pictured) was the greatest server ever because he had this uncanny ability on break-point down to produce a serve that would win him the point - either directly or a shot later.

What The Papers Are Saying

Facts and figures about the Wimbledon men's tournament which starts on June 22 in London.

2008 champions Men's singles: Rafael Nadal (Spain) Men's doubles: Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia)

Most Wimbledon titles All competitions: Laurie Doherty (Britain) (5 singles, 8 doubles) Men's singles: Pete Sampras (U.S.) 7, William Renshaw (Britain) 7

Youngest winner Boris Becker (Germany) in 1985, aged 17 years and 227 days

Oldest winner Arthur Gore (Britain) in 1909, aged 41 years and 182 days

The difference between a top 20 and a top 10 player, Boris Becker once noted, is largely between the ears.

New ATP Executive Chairman Adam Helfant has spent his first few months on the job with his ears opened listening to players, tournament directors sponsors. The 44-year-old Brooklyn-born Helfant, who grew up a devoted New York Rangers fan, said absorbing opinions from those within the game is his first priority before considering possible changes to the current ATP structure.

Tennis champion Boris Becker startled viewers of a Saturday night game show when he said he would marry former girlfriend, Dutch model Lilly Kerssenberg, in June.

Former tennis ace Boris Becker has tipped Roger Federer to make a winning return to Wimbledon next summer.

Federer was beaten by Rafa Nadal in an epic final this year which robbed the Swiss star of a record sixth successive Wimbledon men's singles title.

But Becker, who won the title three times during his career, believes Federer, now ranked number two in the world, is favourite to reclaim his crown despite the continued improvement of Britain's Andy Murray and the power of reigning world number one Nadal.

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker plans to marry his late manager’s daughter, who is 16 years younger than the German tennis icon, a newspaper reported Monday.

The couple got engaged Sunday “in the closest family circle,” according to the online edition of Bild, Germany’s mass-circulation newspaper.

Becker, 40, divorced Barbara Becker, with whom he has two children, seven years ago. He also has a daughter with London-based model Angela Ermakova.

Tennis was one of the original nine Olympic sports played at Athens in 1896 and was part of the games until it was dropped in 1924.
 
Tennis was absent from the Olympics for 60 years until it was played as a demonstration sport in Los Angeles 1984.
 
The move proved a success and tennis was re-introduced as a full medal Olympic sport in 1988.
 
Many top professional players such as Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf have won medals at the Olympics.
 

Boris Becker has said the newest king of tennis was crowned at Wimbledon as Rafael Nadal ended the glory run of Roger Federer.