Boris Becker hopes to help China become a tennis force after opening academy in Shenzhen
Germany’s former world No 1 is astonished that only the retired Li Na has succeeded on the world stage but he’s determined to change this
Former world No.1 tennis player Boris Becker hopes to help China become a force in world tennis after lending his name to a new academy at the Mission Hills resort in Shenzhen.
The coach of current world No.1 Novak Djokovic said he was bemused that China - Li Na apart - has had little success in tennis and hopes the first academy under his name can help change that.
This is the biggest country in the world, but no male players in the top 100 - we’re about to change this
“This is the biggest country in the world, but no male players in the top 100 - we’re about to change this,” he said at the academy’s launch yesterday.
“I’m old enough and mature enough to give back and hopefully can pass on my epxerience as a player and coach.”
With 51 courts at the sprawling resort, Mission Hills has been used as a training camp by China’s national teams. They hope to launch a pilot scheme at the new Becker Academy in the summer and start taking students from September.
