“I wouldn’t have played against him because everybody loses,” Boris Becker picks the player he would never want to face in Grand Slam finals 

Becker said it's difficult to beat the Spaniard in the Grand Slam final, which is why he doesn't want to face the 22-time Grand Slam champion. 

“I wouldn’t have played against him because everybody loses,” Boris Becker picks the player he would never want to face in Grand Slam finals 

Boris Becker (Image via Imago)

Boris Becker reflected on his career and picked out a dream tournament where he would have loved to play again. It’s the Wimbledon final he chose and his opponent? It’s one of the Big 3 but the opponent he would have dreaded to face in the final is Rafael Nadal. 

Nadal’s fighting spirit and his never-give-up attitude till the end make him more dangerous, which Becker acknowledged. Becker said it’s difficult to beat the Spaniard in the Grand Slam final, which is why he doesn’t want to face the 22-time Grand Slam champion. 

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When I imagine the perfect match for me, it is always the final of Wimbledon. Then you ask, who do I want to play? Is it Novak, or is it Roger? I wouldn’t have wanted to play a final against Rafa because everybody loses, so it’s not good.
Boris Becker said

Nadal has reached a Grand Slam final 30 times, winning 22 and losing eight. His last title came in the 2022 Roland Garros by beating Casper Ruud in the final. In the ongoing event in Paris, Alexander Zverev knocked the 37-year-old out of the tournament in straight sets. 

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On the other hand, Roger Federer retired in 2022 while Novak Djokovic, who won three Grand Slam titles last year, is dealing with a rough phase, failing to win a single tournament since the 2023 ATP Finals in November. He started his Roland Garros campaign with a win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert
to set himself a second-round match against Roberto Carballes Baena.

Boris Becker reveals who was his toughest rival during his playing days

Boris Becker shared an intense rivalry with USA’s Ivan Lendl and played 21 matches against him between 1985 and 1993. The American has a slight edge in the head-to-head contest, winning 11 matches, while Becker emerged as the winner on 10 occasions. Becker called Lendl his toughest opponent and credited him for starting the trend of hiring dieticians. 

Boris Becker
Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker (Image via Imago)
He was my toughest rival, for sure. I played a lot of finals against him and they were always big battles. Ivan Lendl changed tennis in many ways as he was the first player to have a diet. He had his own stringer and he was the first one to have that.
Boris Becker said

Becker turned pro in 1983 and retired in 1999. He has won six Grand Slam titles (two Australian Open, three Wimbledon Championships, and one US Open). His last victory at a Grand Slam final came in 1996 when he lifted his second trophy at the Australian Open.

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