transmission

When Boris Becker began his prison sentence in Britain in the spring of 2022, convicted of bankruptcy offences, the former Wimbledon winner was once again a major topic in the media. The 55-year-old was released at the end of the year and then searched for a way on television. He directly gave Steven Gätjen an exclusive interview on Sat.1.

The consequences can still be felt today: A new documentary on the eventful life of Boris Becker has just been released, the second in just a few months. Although the series is manageable in length with just two episodes and a total of 90 minutes on Paramount+, the question of the meaning and purpose of it all still arises, especially in the final moments.

Boris Becker: former partners unpack

The content of “Boris Becker: The Rise and Fall of a Legend” has been known for weeks because the production has already appeared on the British streaming service ITVX. He is only now coming to Germany.

The special feature: in contrast to “Boom! Boom!” this time, Becker has no voice on Apple TV+, rather people from the (former) celebrity environment speak -and especially his ex-partners Sandy Meyer-Wölden and Lilly Becker-. Needless to say, racy revelations are inevitable—among other things, Meyer-Wölden shares her vision of a fateful text message.

Here you can see in the video how Becker’s daughter sends sunny greetings to her fans:

Disappointment sets in quickly, though, because there are hardly any really exciting finds at the end. Rather, the focus is on the usual topics that are regularly worked on in relation to Becker: her financial situation, her turbulent love life, the prison sentence as a low point that she has recently added. It’s almost like watching a Martin Scorsese blockbuster. But the story is real.

Lilly Becker unpacks in new Paramount+ documentary.Image: dpa / Rolf Vennenbernd

There is also a bit of tennis. These scenes have more of an alibi character in ‘The Rise and Fall of a Legend’ and above all they prove that everything has been said about Becker’s career on the tennis court. So really everything.

Those responsible could have simply shown Lilly Becker and Alessandra Meyer-Wölden. That would have been more honest, because: Hardly anyone watches this documentary to enjoy tennis moments that were decades ago.

At first, they make fun of Lilly’s copious statements, only to later extensively illuminate the sporty side of Becker’s life. Somehow almost unpleasant.

The ex-partners do not add value to the production either. Too often these are people complaining about being in the spotlight, even though they themselves were looking for it (and are now looking for it via documentary). that’s exhausting

Boris Becker celebrated great successes on the tennis court.Image: dpa / Wolfgang Eilmes

Absurd moment in Becker’s documentary

Basically, of course, it’s a bit iffy to put out a documentary about a former superstar without him having input. This fact ultimately falls at the feet of the creators, because it simply does not work completely without Becker.

Shortly before the credits roll, certain statements made by those involved are referenced again, with the comment that Becker questions the veracity of the statements.

While a clarification is only seen at the end of the first episode, the second episode ends with a full list of rebuttals. One written clarification after another follows, which is also read in the German version.

Such a counter statement is journalistically clean and absolutely appropriate, at the same time, the documentary adopts its own approach (telling above Boris Becker, however without Boris Becker) so ad absurdum. It remains to wish that all the fuss is over for the time being.