ATP Tour

Becker on No. 1 memories, Turin excitement & fashion

For more than 35 years, Boris Becker held a unique place in German tennis history as the only man from his country to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The 49-time tour-level titlist spent 12 weeks across two spells at the top of the sport, joining an exclusive group of players to have reached the summit.

That changed on 2 November, when Alexander Zverev became the second German man to reach No. 1 and the 30th player overall to join the prestigious ATP No. 1 Club.

For Becker, reaching the top of the rankings remains one of the defining achievements of his career.

“One of my greatest sporting achievements in tennis is becoming No. 1 in the world,” Becker said. “It takes a lot of hard work, dedication. You aren’t going to be No. 1 for one tournament, you have to be good for 12 months. Being in the No. 1 Club makes me very proud and there are only 30 members.”

Becker knows what it takes to succeed on the sport’s biggest stages. A three-time champion at the Nitto ATP Finals, the German enjoyed some of the finest moments of his career at the season-ending event. As this year’s tournament approaches in Turin, he is looking forward to watching the likes of Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz compete for the title.

“I am looking forward to another ATP Finals in Turin,” Becker said. “Of course we miss Jannik Sinner but we have a new World No. 1 Alexander Zverev and he is from Germany and I am happy about that. We have Carlos Alcaraz coming off his victory in Paris. We have Shelton, Medvedev and Italian Flavio Cobolli, holding up the Italian flag. I am happy to watch.”

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Away from the court, Becker also took time to explore a different side of tennis culture in Milan, where he attended the launch of the ATP + Palmes + Pro Shop NYC collection at Reading Room.

The collection brings together tennis and fashion, with Becker particularly drawn to its vintage-inspired pieces. Having played throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he said the designs offered a welcome reminder of how the sport’s style has evolved. Fans can explore the collection here.

“I see a lot of vintage clothes and books,” Becker said. “I played in the 80s and 90s and it gets you sentimental. Back in the day we had a different fashion sense, there was different colouring, different shirts than today, so it is nice to have a walk down memory lane.”