THE PLAYER

Wimbledon champ Becker discusses his many triumphs and misadventures.

Becker, the blond Teutonic giant with the killer serve, Wimbledon’s youngest champion, was always known on the court for his intensity; that same focus is present on the page as Becker discusses his career and home life over the past two decades. The episodes that Becker explores include his divorce, his tax evasion trial and his illegitimate daughter. It seems that, despite the glory, the endorsements and the money, it wasn't easy being Becker, particularly with the hopes and dreams of his entire country riding on the outcome of every game he played. Along with the grueling personal incidents, Becker discusses his professional tennis days in detail: his coaches and their strategies, his battles on the court, his physical injuries. But while tennis fans should enjoy reading about the type of racket he used, where he stayed near Wimbledon and what he ate before big games, at the heart of this are Becker’s relationships, including those with competitors McEnroe and Lendl, with his ex-wife and children and with the one-night stand who became the mother of his only daughter. A non-linear timeline first places the champ on the court at the moment of his win, then at his father's funeral, then at the airport, where he is detained after a tax evasion conviction, and so on. In all, the work is intelligent and earnest, revealing a complexity that few may have suspected.

Becker uncovers it all and doesn't pull any punches, even when he's the one getting the beating.