Becker seeks anonymity in New York

Press, 24 January 1986, Page 20

Becker seeks anonymity in New York

Boris Becker is learning that sometimes the best place to hide is in a crowded room.

That is the paradox of New York City, and the appeal it holds for the West German teenager who generates nationwide news coverage at home just about every time he ventures outdoors. “Becker goes to the movies; film at 11,” is a news report that will keep many adoring West Germans glued to their television sets.

In the United States, athletes are stars or superstars, but in West Germany Becker is a national hero, a star of the highest magnitude. His life changed dramatically last July when he became, the youngest winner of the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon. He was only 17 — too young to appreciate the achievement, it was said, too young to receive such acclaim.

“A year ago I was nobody,” Becker said this week.

“Winning Wimbledon was like falling into cold water. I thought all the attention would last maybe three or four weeks. I didn’t know Wimbledon was that big. It’s the price I have to pay.”

At home, Becker’s victory transcended tennis. He filled a need, giving West Germans a source of pride and achievement. He finished 1985 ranked No. 5 in the world and led his country’s Davis Cup team to the final, where it lost to Sweden despite Becker’s two singles victories.

As a result, even now, with last year’s Wimble-

don victory ancient history, he says hardly a day passes when his face does not appear on the front page of a German newspaper or cover of a magazine.

When he played in the Young Masters tournament in West Berlin recently, squealing fans surrounded his hotel and bodyguards escorted him to and from the courts.

What made him appealing to tennis fans the world over was the boyish quality that conveyed that playing was fun, not a chore. Becker is 188 centimetres tall and a muscular 80kg, which he tosses around the court as if intent on doing himself bodily harm. He has strawberryblond hair and a creamcoloured complexion, and an easy smile that gives him a kind of Howdy Doody innocence. “In Germany, I cannot do anything,” Becker said. “For example, if I want to go to the cinema, there may be three or four television hews teams following me, so I have to stay in my room. But I’m happy I won Wimbledon. Sometimes I want to be alone, but it is better this way than if no one wanted an autograph.” In Europe, particularly in West Germany, fans find a need to reach out and touch him, as if to find out if he is real. He finds it different in New York.

“People here will come up to me and say, ‘Well done,’ or tell me I’m a good sportsman,” Becker said. “I can go around freely. I would be happy if I could have a house on Long Island and go to the

movies in New York.”

When Mats Wilander of Sweden won the French Open in 1982, he cut his hair, hoping people would not recognise him. Yannick Noah won the French Open a year later and moved from his home in Paris to New York, to escape the hero worshippers. Becker has his own means of evading fans. “I bought me a nice little hat and glasses, and if I don’t want to be recognised, I wear them,” he said.

Only seven months after Wimbledon, fame is a minor inconvenience. Becker is 18 years old, and his game is improving. Thus, he overpowers many of the younger players. When he loses, as he did in an early round at the Australian Open in December, Becker is discouraged, but still confident in his ability. But how much longer will Becker’s enthusiasm last? Discussions about burnout and the pressure of being on top do not interest him. “Tennis is fun for me,” he said. John McEnroe said that Becker will learn about expectations with experience. “He’s 18, he’s going to get his eyes opened,” McEnroe said. “There are not a whole lot of guys who win Wimbledon at 17. He didn’t realise at the time what he was getting into. In five years, he will begin to understand.” McEnroe said that Becker was mature for his age — “he doesn’t act 18” — but that his style was not going to revolutionise the game. New York Times-NZPA