Boris Becker – Net Worth, Endorsements & Earnings
The talented German Boris Becker finished his career with six Grand Slam singles championships, making him one of the most decorated players of his era. The guy known for a great serve followed up by a volley was one of the last players to have success playing that style continually.
With some huge paydays during his career, just how much net worth does Becker have now? It is one of the most asked questions for any former tennis great, and specifically him. He has had some highs and lows since retirement, so his worth has fluctuated quite a bit.
What is Boris Becker‘s net worth? At his peak, Becker was estimated to have a net worth of about $150 million. However, he is now facing very tough times financially. Over the last few years, he has been going through a bankruptcy that has turned pretty messy. He still reportedly owes tens of millions of dollars, forcing him to auction off some of his most prized collectibles.
Career Prize Money Earnings
It did not take long for Boris Becker to make a name for himself as one of the most talented tennis players in the game. As a 17-year-old, he won the 1985 Wimbledon Championships, and then followed it up with a repeat victory in 1986. Wimbledon suited his game best, as he won three of his titles on the grass courts. However, his biggest paydays would come down under, as he won his final two majors at the Australian Open.
By 1996, the Australian Open was handing out some pretty big paydays for their winners. It was finally on par with all the other majors, and that was drawing the best of the best to Melbourne.
Here is a breakdown of how much Boris Becker have earned through tournament prize money each year during his career (singles).
| Year | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1985 | $445K |
| 1986 | $839K |
| 1987 | $366K |
| 1988 | $1.06M |
| 1989 | $1.46M |
| 1990 | $1.51M |
| 1991 | $1.2M |
| 1992 | $1.97M |
| 1993 | $898K |
| 1994 | $2.11M |
| 1995 | $2.88M |
As a total, Becker finished his career with just over $25 million in prize money. He is still 12th all-time in earnings, which is pretty remarkable for someone who retired in 1999. It shows he not only had a long career, but a consistent one.
Endorsements
Becker had a pretty exciting style play, with his fast serve, outstanding volleys, and his ability to dive for certain shots. This made him pretty marketable during his run, particularly in Germany. People loved his style of play, even if they could not emulate it as much as they would like.
Racquet Sponsors
Becker bounced around with racquet sponsors quite a bit during his career. He started his career with Dunlop, then switched to Adidas for a while. After that, he then started playing pretty consistently with racquets from Puma, at a time when they were making quite a few high-level options.
Later in his life, he had a company that produce its own line of racquets with his silhouette as a logo. They did not do particularly well, and are very hard to find these days. He would play in exhibition matches with his racquets, but he has since switched back to more traditional options from the bigger companies.
Clothing Sponsors
A look back at clothing sponsors for Boris Becker during his career shows quite a few different companies. He spent time with Ellesse, Fila, Lotto, Ralph Lauren, Diadora, and more. He basically jumped around to whoever would offer in the most money as the time, which helped him grow his net worth during his playing days.
He has also dabbled in clothing options since retirement to try to cash in on his popularity. Just this year, he launched a fashion brand that focuses on casualwear. He is working directly with the German company called Fashion Concept to produce them.
Other Endorsements
Boris Becker has worked with companies such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes, PokerStars, and more. He received a lot of attention early on in his career, but never really became a true superstar in a sport like some of the other players of his caliber. He always did very well in Germany, but struggle to be an international star selling products.
Other Wealth Contributors
There are not a lot of notable wealth contributors for Becker at this point in his life. A lot of his financial struggles stem from failed business opportunities that put him behind instead of ahead.
Becker seems to be very focused on trying to get out of his current financial situation, but he will need to do so smartly. Otherwise, he could fall further and further behind by trying to take any shortcuts.
He has had some opportunities to make money in his post-playing career by coaching and commentating. Famously, he coached Novak Djokovic from 2014 to 2016. During that stretch, Djokovic won six Grand Slam titles, so it was a good match overall. He does not seem to receive as much credit as he should for his coaching techniques with Djokovic. He has not worked much with any professionals since then.
Announcing for the likes of the BBC and Fox Sports Australia has also allowed him to make some money after his playing days. He never landed any huge commentating deals, but that could be an avenue he explores at another time.
Future Outlook
The tennis world is generally rooting for Becker to figure things out financially and get back on his feet. He has a long road ahead in getting the bankruptcy issues figured out, but he is at least heading in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how many public appearances he makes during this time, or if he mostly tries to stay in the shadows.
