Veteran German and former World No.35 Benjamin Becker has announced his retirement from tennis. The 36 year-old had planned to retire at the end of the season, but a combination of injuries and a desire to return to complete studies at Baylor University have seen him retire early.
Becker: “I had in my mind that I was going to stop this year anyway. With my [hip] injury that happened in October [Vienna], I wasn’t really able to do any pre-season this year. Just kind of wasn’t able to prepare the way I wanted to… at Wimbledon I knew I wasn’t going to make US Open qualies and since I knew I wanted to stop at the end of the year anyway, I felt like it was a good time to do it then.”
Becker won the s’Hertogenbosch event in 2009 (def. Sluiter) for his only 250 title, he also reached the final in 2014 but was defeated by Roberto Bautista Agut. He won nine challenger titles from eighteen finals.
Becker is perhaps best known for his breakthrough year in 2006, when he advanced from a ranking of No.421 to No.62. In the course of that season he played in the final match of Andre Agassi’s career. In what was also Becker’s best run at a grand slam event, he defeated the former No.1 before falling to Andy Roddick the next day in the fourth round.
Becker, who is based in Texas, United States, has already settled into a post-tour life, working as a coach at Baylor whilst he completes his studies. “It’s great. The guys are very talented. They’re very eager to work. I always knew I was going to enjoy it, but it’s actually been more enjoyable and I actually do more right now than I’m asked to do. So yeah, it’s been good.”
Becker also looks back with pride at a consistent career. “I guess I’m most proud that out of my 12 years, I think I was Top 100 10 times, maybe. “That was always my ultimate goal, being Top 100 and being able to play the big tournaments. And to be able to do this on a pretty consistent basis and have myself always there in the elite 100 is something that I’m very proud of and that I was able to play that long.”
