Boris Becker: That’s what Sharlely Becker and Alessandra Meyer-Wölden say in the new documentary

The life of Boris Becker is apparently good as a good series material. In April of this year, the streaming provider Apple TV+ released the two-part documentary “Boom! Boom! – The World vs. Boris Becker”, which traces the ups and downs of his career.

Only three months later, another documentary about the former tennis pro appeared with “Boris Becker: Rise and fall of a legend”. The first part mainly traces Becker’s successes, the second part then deals with his case.

Documentary “Boris Becker: The Rise and Fall of a Legend” runs on Paramount+

In Great Britain, the documentary is now available on the streaming service ITVX, in Germany the episodes can be seen on Paramount+ from August 4th. Unlike the Apple TV+ production, Becker doesn’t have a say himself this time. Instead, former coaches, former companions and some of Becker’s ex-partners report on their experiences with the athlete.

The women who express themselves in the first part of the documentary are Sharlely Becker and Alessandra Meyer-Wölden. Both report on the beginnings of their relationship with Boris Becker and, independently of one another, rave about his presence and charm. “He was a tall man with messy hair. You couldn’t help but notice him,” says Sharlely Becker about meeting Boris Becker for the first time in 2005 in a bar in Miami. At the beginning everything was uncomplicated and wonderful. “I fell in love with his passion, his charisma and his humor.” The two were a couple for three years. Until Boris Becker ended the relationship. Sharlely Becker remembers how that happened in the documentary.

During a conversation in his apartment in Zurich, Boris Becker explained to her that he wanted to separate from her because they did not fit together. She just thought: ‘Are you kidding me?’. After all, he had spoken shortly before about a wedding. “I didn’t want anything else. But I think he still wanted his freedom,” says Becker. “I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s one of those moments in life that you never forget,” says the 47-year-old.

In the summer of 2008 paparazzi photos appeared showing Boris Becker together with Alessandra Meyer-Wölden, the daughter of his former adviser Axel Meyer-Wölden. When Sharlely Becker saw these pictures at the time, she thought: ‘This woman is beautiful, younger’. “It was tough. I’ve never felt so ugly, old and unwanted. The pain wouldn’t go away.” Becker traveled to Ibiza and numbed her lovesickness with alcohol and drugs. “I couldn’t get drunk enough to forget this man,” she says.

Alessandra Meyer-Wölden was engaged to Boris Becker in 2008

Alessandra Meyer-Wölden says about her first time with Boris Becker: “As a woman you can tell when a man is interested in you. So I quickly realized that Boris was interested in me. It started quite casually. It was only months later that I realized : This man is following me.” She felt flattered by Becker’s advances.

He flew in by private jet for her birthday, although he was not explicitly invited. So much commitment impressed her, she wanted to give him a chance. “He seemed like the perfect man. I didn’t see any weaknesses. It was like a fairy tale and turned into a tornado.” Six weeks after meeting Becker and Meyer-Wölden got engaged. They were separated again three months later and Becker reunited with Sharlely, whom he married in 2009. The marriage lasted nine years, and the Beckers are not yet officially divorced.

In a preview of the second part of the documentary, Alessandra Meyer-Wölden can be seen saying: “New women kept coming. I never spoke to him again.” Meyer-Wölden and Sharlely Becker now have a close friendship. Their experiences with Boris Becker have welded the two women together – even if that seemed unthinkable 15 years ago.