ATP Tour

Becker remembers ending Agassi's career: 'It was a blur & just trying to survive'

During the US Open, it is common to see college coaches roaming the grounds, whether to support a current or former member of their team, or to look for future prospects. One of those coaches is plenty familiar with the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Twenty years ago, Benjamin Becker handed ATP No. 1 Club member Andre Agassi the final loss of his storied career in the third round of the season’s final major. Two decades later, Becker was on the same grounds in a coaching capacity, as associate head coach for the University of Texas men’s tennis team.

“It didn't hit me until some of my friends were mentioning it this summer,” Becker told ATPTour.com of the anniversary. “It's been 20 years, which is obviously a big number and crazy to think about. And funny enough, I just talked to my coach, who's here with a junior player from France, who coached me during that match, and we just talked about the match as well. It's crazy to think it's been that long.”

The German was referring to Tarik Benhabiles, who also coached Andy Roddick. One person also approached Becker at Flushing Meadows and said, “Hey, weren’t you the guy who beat Agassi?”

Becker reached No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won an ATP Tour title in 2009 in ’s-Hertogenbosch. But he will always be associated with his victory against Agassi in New York.

“I know it was his last match, but even just being in the same court with him a year before that, it was unthinkable for me because I was in college, and I had 0 ATP points,” said Becker, who was a student-athlete at Baylor University. “So it just came fast, and I'm glad and grateful that I had that experience in my life.”

Becker was “very nervous” when it was announced that it would be Agassi’s last US Open. He told his mother before flying to the United States that he wishes he could play Agassi one time. Growing up, Becker’s idols were Boris Becker and Agassi. “I was wearing his jean shorts as a kid and had his poster,” he said.

After coming through qualifying, Becker saw that Agassi was in his section, but he did not imagine being able to make the third round. When Agassi famously played Marcos Baghdatis in a late-night thriller in the second round, Becker stayed up to watch.

“I was rooting for him. I really wanted to play him. I didn't want to avoid the situation,” Becker said. “I really wanted to get that experience and obviously I'm glad I did. So I stayed up and I watched it and I was very nervous watching it.”

According to the German, he could recall around 90 per cent of the points he played in his career, especially the big points. But he does not remember much from that match besides trying to stay focused on each point.

During the coin toss, Becker remembers looking down to avoid making contact with his idol across the net. During the warmup, he was so nervous that he simply tried to put the ball in the court, whereas Agassi was “hitting so fast and hard right from the start”.

“I just remember I was very nervous. I remember I had trouble breathing in the beginning, overwhelmed,” Becker said. “I got stuck looking over across the net and seeing Andre Agassi, which was very unusual for me. I do remember a few points here and there, but mostly it was more of a blur and just trying to survive at the time, which is pretty funny.”

Becker ultimately prevailed 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, bringing an end to one of the most distinguished careers in tennis. He fell in the next round to Roddick.

“I think it's great to be part of it. So it's great now to have that experience, just to have the experience of having played a match like that on Arthur Ashe in front of these people, that much at stake,” Becker said. “I think that helps me now in my role as a coach. It's fun to look back at. At the time, I didn't look at it that way because it also felt like a burden sometimes. But no, it definitely is a fun match to look at and talk about. Just being part of it and having that experience, not many guys had that, playing him in Arthur Ashe.”