CV of a huge champion
In the 90’s, he was the world number one in tennis, and now is a professional tennis player and member of the PokerStars team. This is German Boris Becker, who is now showing his skills in playing cards, after proving to have been the best at the white sport.
Boris Becker is one of a kind in the tennis world. Five years ago, he joined the PokerStars team even though he had been passionate about poker since he was at the peak of his career. ‚Back then, I was playing an old-fashioned poker – 7-card-stud. Texas Hold’em is something modern and I did not know all the rules. So, when PokerStars asked me to come along, I hired a German trainer to teach me for a few weeks – this is how I managed to learn more about the game’, explained the former tennis player in an interview.
Five or six tournaments a year
‚During my first tournament, I got to the final table at EPT Monte Carlo and it was awesome. Now, I feel the same too. I am not playing as often as the professionals – I go to 5 or 6 tournaments a year, all in the EPT circuit, and I never miss the Barcelona as it is my favorite’, confessed Becker. The legendary tennis champion played in the EPT poker tournament in Barcelona this year where he won EUR8,000.
Live and online
The German plays both live competitions and online tournaments. „ I travel a lot and have not time to be in many live events. But I play, on my laptop or iPad, for ‚Sunday Millions’. The online poker is an excellent way to improve my game’, said Becker.
Being asked why sports people like Michael Phelps, Gerard Pique, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Alonso are attracted to poker, he answered: ‚It is all about competition, the desire to win and a lot of discipline, Poker has all this and this is why they play this mind sport at a high level. In fact, sport helps you in poker.’
Proud about the game with Negreanu
Boris Becker said that he is exalted about having played along the greatest in the world, as the Canadian of Romanian origin Daniel Negreanu. ‚For instance, I sat at the same table with Daniel Negreanu and I was happy not to make a fool of myself. I have though a long road ahead of me before I catch up with the best. I am crazy about poker and hope to become bettter and better’, he said.
An inspiring career
Today he is 44 but Boris Becker has had an inspiring career, hard to match. He was one of the best tennis players worldwide. He won six Grand Slam titles, was the Olympic champion at double and the youngest winner at Wimbledon (17 years old). He has five indoor titles and numerous other wins. He made USD25,080,956 in prizes from playing tennis.
A great lover
The German sportsman can boast about having a full love life too. In December 1993, he married Barbara Feltus, an actress and fashion designer. Their son, Noah Gabriel, was born in January 1994. The second child, Elias, came in September 1999. Boris and Barbara separated in December 2000. The great sportsman has a girl, Anna, to the Russian model Angela Ermakova. He was shortly engaged in 2008 with Alessandra Meyer-Wolden. In 2009, he married the Dutch model Sharleley ‚Lilly’ Kerssenberg and their son, Amadeus Benedict Edley Luis, was born in February 2010.
