German tennis player
In 1985, Boris Becker became the youngest player to win the men's singles championship at Wimbledon. He
Boris Becker
was also the first German to do so, and the first unranked player. In truth, Becker was used to being the youngest. He had started playing when he was only eight years old, and by age 11 he was playing in adult divisions. Still, it was a grand moment, and turned Becker into an international sensation, and a national hero. While Becker continued to find success on the court, winning four more Grand Slam tournaments and an Olympic gold medal, he also weathered difficult slumps and at times found himself the object of controversy and contempt. Through it all, however, he has remained Germany's most famous athlete, and a symbol of grace and good manners in a sport that has not always been known for either.
Sketch by Robert Winters
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