Boris Becker and his ex-coach Mike DePalmer
Sad news for Boris Becker! Mike DePalmer, ex-coach of the German tennis icon, died of cancer.
The former US professional looked after Becker from 1995 to the end of his career in 1999. The German tennis icon celebrated six tournament victories during this time, including the Australian Open in 1996. In the same year he won the Grand Slam Cup. Previously, Coach DePalmer was already working in the tennis academy of legend Nick Bollettieri, where he had been working with Becker since 1994.
DePalmer succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 59. Becker wrote about his former supervisor in his biography: “DePalmer was a trainer who had learned discipline with the US Navy SEALs. He could be brutal. Still, I stayed with him for five years, longer than with any other trainer. We have it managed to strike a balance between the relationship we had as friends and the relationship we had as an employer. With Mike DePalmer, I've reached the level of obsession it takes for a player to unleash all their energy. You have to go to the limit of madness without crossing the line. “
In his own professional career, DePalmer took 35th place in the world rankings, defeating players like Jimmy Connors and Vitas Gerulaitis. In doubles he won six tournaments before he ended his career because of back problems. As a trainer, in addition to Becker, he also looked after stars such as Mark Philippoussis, Mary Pierce, Anna Kournikova and Tommy Haas.
