The legendary German extensionist recalls his path to the top of the world rankings. 
Becker spent 109 weeks at number two before finally reaching the top spot by beating Ivan Lendl in the 1991 Australian Open final. He became the world number one after that tournament.
“You have to be a little crazy, a little selfish in the sense that your life is only tennis,” said Becker, who has won 49 ATP titles in his career.
“You have to be willing to do everything to win, and nothing can be more important than winning the next match.
“It’s very difficult to maintain that intensity for a long time, but we all have that crazy winning mentality. It’s a big achievement to be number one, whether it’s for one week, 12 weeks or 350 weeks.”
“Being part of Club No. 1 is a unique feeling.”
Only 29 players in history have reached the top of the ATP World Rankings, and Becker is well aware of the significance of his achievement. The six-time Grand Slam champion spent a total of 12 weeks at No. 1, including a nine-week run from July to September 1991.
“Looking back, it was a great honour for me to present the World No. 1 trophy to Jannik Sinner in 2024 and to be part of this No. 1 club,” Becker admitted.
“The other 28 players were my idols. They were the reason I started playing tennis. Everything I have is because of tennis, and as you get older, you appreciate it more. It’s important that the younger generation remembers those who paved the way. We weren’t always playing for millions in prize money, but thanks to legends like Ilie Nastase, Björn Borg, John McEnroe and many others, tennis became more popular.”
Becker burst onto the tennis scene at a young age, sensationally becoming the youngest ever Wimbledon champion at 17. It was his first Grand Slam trophy, and he defended his title the following year. But it was six years later, with five majors under his belt, that he finally achieved world No. 1 status.
“I was 18 years old when I became the world No. 2 in September 1986,” Becker recalled.
“I was a two-time Wimbledon champion and everything seemed perfect. But there was always the same guy ahead of me – Ivan Lendl. Little did I know that it would take me another four and a half years to finally reach the top. What made that last step so difficult? Finally, in 1991, in the final of the Australian Open, I beat him. We were No. 1 and No. 2, and I knew that this match was decisive.”
Before that match, the personal balance between Becker and Lendl was equal – 9:9. But in the final of the 1991 Australian Open, Becker won in four sets, not only winning the title, but also climbing to the top of the ATP rankings for the first time.
Becker admits his journey to world No. 1 took longer than he expected, and he learned constantly from his strongest rivals, such as Lendl, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.
“The main thing is stability, tournament after tournament, to stay in first place, you need to constantly reach the finals and win tournaments.
“In the 80s, I was still a teenager. I had great tournaments, but then mediocre weeks. But Ivan, Mats and Stefan were more consistent throughout the year. That’s what changed in my game in the early 90s.”
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