Boris Becker’s Journey Continues

There never seems to be a dull moment when it comes to German tennis legend Boris Becker. Among his many TV commitments at, what seems like every Grand Slam tournament, Becker also pursues many hobbies outside of tennis. But the surprising thing is that one of these pursuits is at professional level – a feat that very few are able to accomplish.

During an illustrious tennis career, Becker won 7 Grand Slam titles as well as a total of 49 career titles than spanned 15 years between 1984-1999. Midway through his career he managed to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games as well as two Davis Cup triumphs.

However, it’s his love for poker away from the tennis court that has seen him gaining notoriety from a completely new fanbase. He’s been active in poker since he made his bow at a European Poker Tour event in Monte Carlo where he finished in 7th place amongst a long list of seasoned professional. After proving that he could hang with the best that the poker world had to offer, Becker began to play more regularly, and still does to this day.

Luckily for Becker his retirement from tennis coincided with the poker boom in the late 90s. During this time the first online wagering portal was launched through InterCasino, Chris Moneymaker became famous through winning an event via an Internet qualifier and the stock of the sport rose rapidly. And this was something that Becker tapped into, and garnered a huge fanbase.

Becker has also forged friendships through the sport with fellow German player Martin Rattenmaier, Ole Schemion and Philipp Gruissem in their promotion of the Global Poker Index [GPI) recently. GPI is similar to the world rankings in poker that help players rank for tournament entry. The GPI has an annual awards ceremony with Becker’s compatriot Ole Schemion winning the GPI Player of the Year award for 2013.

Although Becker hasn’t player any notable professional tournaments this year, he has featured in Tiger Woods’ Tiger Jam an event that raises money for unpriveledged children, giving them the chance of a better education. The event attracts a host of sports stars and celebrities. The event has helped keep Becker’s skills sharp amidst all his broadcasting responsibilities. It will be interesting to see how 2015 pans out for Becker as he looks to juggle his many commitments. One things is for sure though, it’ll be a busy year for one of tennis’s greatest ever players.