Boris Becker recalls Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon victory that lifted him during his prison time

Boris Becker was instrumental in Novak Djokovic’s dominance on the tennis court from 2014 to 2016, a three-year period during which the Serbian won six Grand Slam titles.

As the coach, Becker taught Djokovic to shine in the toughest moments. He joined the Serbian’s team when the latter was 1-4 in the finals at Majors during 2012 and 2013. Despite the success, they parted ways in December 2016.

Things went downhill for both legends in the year that followed. Becker was declared bankrupt in the United Kingdom and Djokovic played one of his worst seasons, crashing out of the Australian Open in the second round, reaching only the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and skipping the US Open due to an elbow injury.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion recovered to his best level in 2018 after surgery and triumphed at SW19 and Flushing Meadows. Still, Becker drowned deeper in the judicial turmoil that culminated in April 2022 with a 30-month imprisonment term.

He began serving time in a cell at Wandsworth Prison, situated a couple of miles away from the storied stage of Centre Court. He had left tennis in 1999, but the sport and his brightest student helped him fight negativity in captivity. Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in a tight four-setter in the 2022 Wimbledon final for his 21st Grand Slam glory as Becker watched him on a small TV screen in his cell.

"I wasn’t afraid anymore," he recalled in his recent interview with The Guardian. "When Novak won and raised his arms, I stood up and raised my arms too. As I did so, the noise along the wing broke out again, louder than ever before. The banging didn’t stop for 10 minutes. On walls, on doors. With cups, with chairs. It had taken me two weeks to educate them that this was my man, and now I realised they had understood. I stood there and I cried."

Notably, Djokovic had kept Lilian and Noah, Becker’s partner and son, in his team box throughout the tournament.

"I saw them ringside at every game," Becker added. “And that’s what I call true friendship, that you’re not forgotten. I always thank Novak for this special memory."

Boris Becker: "Who are we to challenge Novak Djokovic when to stop?"

Since the 2022 Championships, Novak Djokovic has added three more Grand Slam trophies to his name to become the all-time leader in the Open Era. All of them, however, he won in 2023. He has proved to be a tough competitor on the court in the last two seasons, but his tally hasn’t improved from 24 yet.

Pundits and fans have begun to speculate about the 38-year-old’s retirement. However, Boric Becker, despite having coached him in the past, is unwilling to entertain or suggest such thoughts for the Serbian.

"Look, I think he’s important for tennis today,” Becker continued. “He leads by example and shows the young players the amount of dedication you need to come to the top and then stay on top. He’s still chasing his 25th grand slam and reached all four major semi-finals this year and won two tournaments. Who are we to challenge Novak Djokovic when to stop? I heard the other day that he wants to play at the Olympics in LA 2028. Let him. We need him."

Djokovic is one run away from a 25th Major title and Becker is backing him to win it.

"Whoever was playing against Novak lost a lot of money for the last 20 years. So, I’d never bet against Novak."

If the German’s bet pays off, Djokovic will surpass Margaret Court to become the first tennis player ever to win 25 Grand Slam trophies.