Boris Becker: Tennis Is Like Poker

Love him or hate him, Boris Becker is an interesting character.

As a player, as a commentator, as a show-biz persona, as a coach...sparks fly!

In his recently published biography he claims tennis is like poker.


"Tennis is the only sport I know of where you have your locker right next to your opponent. You see him naked. You see him go to the bathroom. You see him take a shower. Imagine doing that in boxing. Or in basketball. Or in football. Then, you go out and play for fame and glory and money. And because that’s one of my strengths,
I notice a lot of what happens before these matches, and if I can use it, I will."


More in this article:

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/waiting-for-novak-djokovic-with-boris-becker.html

I know players like to stare each other down across the net...but does it really work?
Surely, everyone knows everyone elses tricks...Murray's leg grabbing, Nole's tired look..

Becker and lockers....seems his whole life turns around them.

Tenez wrote:Becker and lockers....seems his whole life turns around them.

But there is some truth in it...though I find it totally pathetic when others try to impose their fragile egos like that...

How about this? (he talks about Wimbledon '14)

Becker says that when he and Djokovic arrived, Federer and his coach, Stefan Edberg, were already there, but not for long. “Obviously, they felt their privacy was compromised, so they went somewhere else,” writes Becker. “I felt a sense of 15-love, that we’d struck the first blow.” In other words, if it had been Becker sitting naked in front of that locker, he would have casually scratched his ass, held his ground, and stayed put. Considering the closeness of the match that followed, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that the encounter didn’t actually mean a thing to either contestant, but what’s telling is that Becker, who wrote the book on Djokovic’s payroll, is trying to get into Federer’s head again by recounting the story.

Isn't playing mind games the very proof you are weaker than your opponent?

The last thing I'd do is buy becker's book. I want Djoko to drop him and Granoller to hire him.

So I believe you are off to le rayol....I was there a month ago exactly...was great.

Lucky you.