Becker–Edberg rivalry
The tennis players Boris Becker (Germany) and Stefan Edberg (Sweden) met 35 times between 1984 and 1996.[1] Although Becker led their overall head-to-head series 25–10 and won all three of their Davis Cup matches, Edberg won three of their four meetings in Grand Slams. Edberg and Becker also reached the world Tour Finals in 1989 which Edberg won in Four sets.
The most defining aspect of their rivalry was the three successive Wimbledon finals that they played. In the 1988 meeting, Becker was the huge favorite, and stormed to the first set 6–4. The second set was to be the most memorable, when in a fit of courage and tennis acumen Edberg won a tight set in a tiebreaker 7–2. Edberg went on to win the next two sets 6–4, 6–2 to win his first Wimbledon title and deny Becker a third title in four years. In the 1989 meeting, Becker, having lost to Edberg a month earlier in the French Open semifinals, raced to win the first set 6–0. The second set was closer, but won in a tiebreak by Becker 7–1. Becker went on to win the third set 6–4. This was Becker's third Wimbledon title, which would be his last Wimbledon crown. In the 1990 meeting, Edberg won the first two sets 6–2, 6–2. However, Becker rallied to win the next two sets 6–3, 6–3. Becker broke Edberg early in the fifth set, setting up the possibility of being the first Wimbledon champion since Henri Cochet in 1927 to win the final after losing the first two sets. Yet, this was not to be as Edberg regained the break and then broke Becker in the ninth game of the set with a topspin lob winner, eventually serving it out for a second Wimbledon championship.[2][3][4][5]
Following his 2009 Wimbledon final, Roger Federer in the post-match press conference cited the Becker–Edberg rivalry in Wimbledon finals as his inspiration for choosing to play tennis over soccer.[6] Since 2013, Becker has been coaching Novak Djokovic, while Edberg has been coaching Roger Federer, continuing their rivalry through the Djokovic–Federer rivalry.[7]
Head to head
Becker—Edberg (25–10)
| Year | Tournament | Surface | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Cologne | Hard | R32 | Stefan Edberg | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1985 | Philadelphia | Carpet | R32 | Stefan Edberg | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1985 | Las Vegas | Hard | R16 | Boris Becker | 6–3, 6–7(3), 6–2 |
| 1985 | Germany vs Sweden | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 8–6 |
| 1986 | Dallas | Carpet | SF | Boris Becker | 7–6(4), 7–6(7), 4–6, 7–6(2) |
| 1986 | Montreal/Toronto | Hard | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1986 | Tokyo | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 7–6(5), 6–1 |
| 1986 | New York City | Carpet | SF | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1987 | Indian Wells | Hard | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1987 | Montreal/Toronto | Hard | SF | Stefan Edberg | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1987 | Cincinnati | Hard | F | Stefan Edberg | 6–4, 6–1 |
| 1988 | Dallas WCT | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1988 | London (Queen's Club) | Grass | F | Boris Becker | 6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1988 | Wimbledon | Grass | F | Stefan Edberg | 4–6, 7–6(2), 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1988 | New York City | Carpet | RR | Stefan Edberg | 7–6(5), 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1988 | Germany vs Sweden | Clay | F | Boris Becker | 6–3, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1989 | French Open | Clay | SF | Stefan Edberg | 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1989 | Wimbledon | Grass | F | Boris Becker | 6–0, 7–6(1), 6–4 |
| 1989 | Paris | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1989 | New York City | Carpet | RR | Boris Becker | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1989 | New York City | Carpet | F | Stefan Edberg | 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1989 | Germany vs Sweden | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 6–2, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1990 | London (Queen's Club) | Grass | SF | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1990 | Wimbledon | Grass | F | Stefan Edberg | 6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1990 | Sydney | Hard (i) | F | Boris Becker | 7–6(4), 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1990 | Stockholm | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1990 | Paris | Carpet | F | Stefan Edberg | 3–3, retired |
| 1991 | Stockholm | Carpet | F | Boris Becker | 3–6, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1992 | Brussels | Carpet | SF | Boris Becker | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1992 | Frankfurt | Carpet | RR | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 1993 | Doha | Hard | SF | Boris Becker | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1994 | Frankfurt | Carpet | RR | Boris Becker | 6–7(3), 6–4, 7–5 |
| 1995 | Basel | Hard | QF | Boris Becker | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 1996 | Doha | Hard | R32 | Boris Becker | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1996 | London (Queen's Club) | Grass | F | Boris Becker | 6–4, 7–6(3) |
| Legend |
| Grand Slam |
| Tennis Masters Cup |
| ATP Masters Series |
| Davis Cup |
| ATP International Series |
ATP Rankings
Year-end ranking timeline
| Player | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Boris Becker |
563 | 66 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 62 | 69 | 131 | |
 Stefan Edberg |
523 | 53 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 23 | 14 |
See also
References
- ↑ "Ten great tennis rivalries". The Independent. July 8, 2008. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
Boris Becker v Stefan Edberg. Time span: '84–96 (35 matches) Head to head: Becker 25, Edberg 10. Grand Slam finals: Three; Edberg won two. Wimbledon: Three finals, 1988, 1989, 1990.
- ↑ Rajat Jain. "Wimbledon Rivalries: Elegance vs. Charisma". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- ↑ "Wimbledon's greatest rivalries". Wimbledon. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- ↑ John Parsons (2003-04-29). "Becker resumes Edberg rivalry". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- ↑ "Most notable tennis rivalries (Open era)". The Boston Globe. 2006-08-25.
- ↑ Sarah Crompton. "Stefan Edberg's appointment as coach to Roger Federer helps revive memories of a past era". Telegraph.
- ↑ Peter Bodo. "Two rivalries for the price of one in Wimbledon final". ESPN.