Let me ask you a question: when did your favorite tennis player win his first ATP Tour title? If you ask me, I’d say at 20, the age when Roger Federer claimed his first singles title at the 2001 Milan Indoor tournament. But hey, Roger is history now, even though it’s painful to say that. A new star has now burst onto the circuit and he has clinched his first ATP 250 title at just 18 years of age. Guess, who we are talking about? João Fonseca it is, yes. But while the fans are buzzing about Fonseca, a German tennis great has reminded the tennis fraternity why his legacy shouldn’t be forgotten.

The glory of Fonseca unfolded at the ATP Buenos Aires Open, where he went head-to-head with his hometown tennis ace Francisco Cerúndolo in the final and beat him in straight sets 6-4, 7-6. The Brazilian, who had a sensational Australian Open as he grabbed headlines by defeating 12th-seed Thiago Agustín Tirante in the qualifiers and 9th-ranked Andrey Rublev in a thrilling first-round match, delivered yet another statement in Argentina.

Just after Fonseca’s dominating victory against Cerundolo though, Boris Becker, the German legend, weighed in with his thoughts, and dare I say he wasn’t too happy about being left out of a prestigious list. But what really happened?

Following Fonseca’s win in the Argentine capital, a popular tennis page Tennis TV posted about the rising star, writing, “Youngest champions in ATP Tour era (since 1990): 16y 10m 18d – Lleyton Hewitt, 17y 9m 21d – Andrei Medvedev, 18y 1m 19d – Kei Nishikori, 18y 2m 12d – Rafael Nadal, 18y 2m 20d – Carlos Alcaraz, 18y 5m 7d – Michael Chang, 18y 5m 26d – JOAO FONSECA 🏆” An impressive feat, no doubt! However, what made things even more interesting was Boris Becker re-sharing the post with his own remark: “Did you forget about me? … BB.” But why was he so keen on reminding everyone of his name? 

For those unfamiliar, the 6-time Grand Slam winner has been an iconic figure in tennis since turning pro in 1984 (17). Born in 1967, the German legend made history in Munich by winning his first professional doubles title in 1984 at just 17. However, his most remarkable achievement? In 1985, he shocked the tennis world by becoming the youngest and first unseeded Wimbledon champion at just 17: an achievement that remains one of the most significant milestones in professional tennis history.

The ultimate test came a year later when he had to prove his triumph wasn’t just a one-time fluke. Becker delivered in style, dropping only two sets in seven matches to defend his title at the 1986 Wimbledon (19): the tournament’s 100th edition, securing his place as a two-time champion by the age of 19.

Boris Becker’s noteworthy achievements before he turned 18:

• Won the prestigious Tennis World Young Masters at the NEC in Birmingham
• First top-level singles title in June 1985 at Queen’s Club
• Youngest ever “Male Grand Slam” singles champion at 17 years and 227 days
• The Youngest winner of the Cincinnati Open

Well, now we know why Becker wasn’t overly pleased with that post. But this wasn’t the first time he expressed dissatisfaction with the way the same tennis page presented its stats. Just yesterday, after young Fonseca defeated Laslo Djere in the semifinals, the page posted a statement saying, “Joao Fonseca joins an illustrious list ✨ @ArgentinaOpen” highlighting Fonseca became the 10th youngest ATP finalist since 2000, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal topping the list.

Becker responded saying, “Really ?!?” When a fan pointed out that the list only considered players from 2000 onward, Becker doubled down with another reply: “So before the year 2000 we didn’t play tennis 🎾?” Clearly, the German legend wanted to make sure his place in history wasn’t overlooked!

Agree or not, the German will always be regarded as one of the greats of the game, regardless of how social media portrays history. And, speaking of social media, the former No. 1 recently shared his thoughts on the modern digital phenomenon, drawing comparisons to some of today’s biggest soccer stars. 

“I was lucky that Instagram didn’t exist when I was playing” — Boris Becker shares his thoughts on social media

The emergence of social media has given athletes a global platform like never before. Today, players across various sporting genres, including tennis, regularly share glimpses of their daily lives or activities, keeping fans engaged beyond the court. However, for Becker, things were different! 

Novak Djokovic’s former mentor Becker, who won 49 singles titles in his career before retiring in 1999, plaed in an era which was untouched by the social media boom. And, in a recent interview, Becker reflected on this shift, sharing his thoughts on how the digital age has transformed the way athletes build their legacies over time.

The former German ace recently gave an interview with BILD where he stated, “I was lucky that Instagram didn’t exist when I was playing. The hype today would certainly be comparable to that of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. You don’t have a private life at all. Many things in my life were great highlights, some of which I would certainly not do today. I try to stay calm and find solutions to all problems. That’s what I did when playing tennis.” 

Do you agree with Boris Becker’s perspective on social media? Share your thoughts in the comments below!