Ivan Lendl makes Boris Becker admission as tennis icon returns from jail

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl spoke of the challenge of taking on the "very powerful" Boris Becker as the pair played at their peak. Becker's tennis legacy was a hot topic of discussion following his release from prison after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence after being found guilty of four counts under the Criminal Justice Act. insolvency.

The two tennis titans have reached three major finals during their direct rivalry over an eight-year period. However, Lendl suggested that his former nemesis could often run "hot and cold", which would determine which version of Becker shows up on the pitch.

"There were some challenges playing with Boris," the Czech native said during a recent appearance on . "He was very powerful, so he could control the points. No one likes the opponent controlling the points, do they?"

While Lendl beat Becker in 11 of his 21 encounters, it was Becker who topped their major tournament record, winning five of six Grand Slam matches. This includes a final triumph at each of the Australian Open (1991), US Open (1989) and Wimbledon (1986).

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This success was indicative of the fact that Lendl would tend to face the German tennis great in the later stages of the tournaments, with all but four of their matches in the semi-final stage or later. As such, it was usually Becker's best that stood between Lendl and a chance at silverware.

"The second thing is that Boris was 'hot and cold'," added the 62-year-old. "I always have to play him towards the end of tournaments. If he was cold he would sometimes have bad losses. But if he was on, now you play him at his best. I always played Boris when he was quite close to his best so it was difficult."

Becker's considerable reputation in tennis has been somewhat tarnished following his recent incarceration. The 55-year-old's time in prison has been split between two HMP sites, after he was convicted of hiding £2.5million in assets after declaring bankruptcy in 2017.

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