London, 07 July 1985. A day destined to make history. The 17-year-old German Boris Becker, who had sensationally reached the Wimbledon final as an unseeded player, was now facing the powerful South African Kevin Curren, who had defeated both John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors on his way to the championship match.
But Becker remained unfazed. With his explosive serve-and-volley game, he took control of the final and secured victory in four sets. When Curren’s return on match point sailed into the audience, it was official—Boris Becker was not only the youngest Wimbledon champion in history at the time, but also the last player ever to win the Championships using white tennis balls.
Just a year later, in 1986, the tournament introduced yellow balls to improve visibility for television audiences—forever changing the traditional image of the sport. And with his successful title defense in 1986, Boris Becker was not only the last champion with white balls but also became the first winner to lift the trophy using yellow balls.
Two records that cannot be repeated.
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