Boris Becker has kept tennis fans gripped throughout his impressive career - and his love life makes for equally fascinating reading.
The former number one champion, who in 1985 became the youngest-ever winner of the gentlemen's singles at Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, has previously made headlines for his extraordinarily complicated romances as well as his sporting prowess.
Indeed, the now 56-year-old German raised many eyebrows back in the late '90s and early '00s, after a steamy encounter with a model at a high-end restaurant ended up turning his life upside down, resulting in an eye-watering divorce settlement and some truly wild accusations.
Restaurant tryst
Boris met Angela shortly after hanging up his Wimbledon racket (Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Things got heated between the pair at fashionable London restaurant Nobu (Katz Pictures)In June 1999, shortly after Boris was beaten at Wimbledon by Pat Rafter in his final match before retirement, he locked eyes with Russian model Angela Ermakova at the fashionable London-based Japanese restaurant Nobu. Angela would later claim that they had sex in a broom cupboard, while Boris insisted they actually romped on the stairs.
Either way, sparks flew, with Boris opening up candidly about their saucy encounter in his 2003 autobiography, The Player. At the time of their fateful meeting, his wife Barbara Feltus was pregnant with their son, Elias, and had been checked into hospital after experiencing some discomfort.
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Remembering the first time he set eyes on Angela, Boris wrote: "She [Ermakova] looked directly at me, the look of the hunter that said, 'I want you'. There she was again, walking twice past the bar. And again this look. A little while later she left her table for the toilet. I followed behind. Five minutes small talk and then straight away into the nearest possible place and down to business.
"Afterwards she went off, I had another beer, paid and went back to my hotel. As there wasn't any news from the hospital I went to bed around 2am. In the morning I went to Barbara: the pains were a false alarm. We packed up our things and left England. As to the consequences of the previous evening I didn't have a second thought."
Telling her side of the story in an interview with the Mail Online, Angela revealed: "When I walked in, it was obvious he recognised me immediately. I felt very flattered. When I left the table to go to the ladies' room, I knew he would follow me. He said 'Hello again' and we talked as if we had known each other for years. He then gave me such a full, passionate kiss on my lips it made my head spin.
"He didn't seem in the least bothered that we were right in the range of the security cameras and by a staircase where people were passing all the time."
Paternity shock and 'sperm theft' allegations
Boris initially denied he was was Anna's father (WireImage)
Nowadays, Boris couldn't be prouder of his daughter (WireImage)Eight months after their night of passion, Boris and Angela met again, this time under very different circumstances. Angela had written to Boris subtly informing him she was pregnant, sending the following cryptic message by fax: "Dear Mr Becker, you will recall a promotional project we discussed in Nobu, London, on June 30, 1999.
"The project is quite advanced and is scheduled for launch at the end of next month. It would be really good to hear your comments and thoughts for possible participation. Perhaps you could call us."
Cottoning onto the meaning, Boris flew out to London - where it had all begun for them - to speak with her face to face. In his tell-all documentary Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, Boris recalled: "She came in, she had a big coat on. She took the coat off and she was heavily pregnant. You just can't believe it. The wake-up call came very late."
Angela gave birth to their daughter Anna in March 2000, who bore a striking resemblance to the sporting legend even as a baby. At first, Boris was reluctant to admit he was the father, and his lawyers even tried to argue that Angela had stolen his sperm during oral sex. The German newspaper Bild Zeitung went as far as to claim this 'theft' was all part of a blackmail plot thought up by the Russian mafia.
In January 2001, Boris agreed to undergo a DNA test, and the results showed he was indeed the father of Anna. In a statement issued by his spokesperson at the time, Boris said: "I do accept the fatherhood. I take responsibility, and I will take care of little Anna. I hope that this statement will end all the speculation of past weeks. Children are the most important people in our world. Whatever I can contribute, I will do for Anna's future as a happy girl."
In 2015, Boris remarked that he was 'proud' of his romp with Angela at Nobu, telling the Radio Times: "We were all stupid and not mature. Tennis wasn't always easy, and my Wimbledon experience wasn't always pleasant. My life was so much about me then. I was too self-centred. I've grown up, and I'm happy. My daughter Anna is one of the best things in my life ... I'm very proud of my daughter."
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When asked whether he minded Nobu, as well as tennis and Wimbledon, being forever connected with his name, Boris reflected: "Those three words... Nothing wrong with them. If that's what I'm remembered for, then I'm proud."
Messy divorce
Boris and Barbara initially tried to make their marriage work after his cheating came to light (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Boris was 'broken up' about how the divorce had affected their sons (Getty Images)Boris' fling with Angela ultimately spelled the end of his marriage to Barbara, with the pair divorcing in 2001, shortly after he finally admitted Anna was his daughter. Opening up about the difficult conversations they had toward the end of their marriage in the two-part doc, Boris shared how Barbara had initially told him, "Well, I still love you and I still want to be with you, and let's somehow find a way."
He continued: "For months nobody knew yet [about the baby]. But then every little thing we discussed, she came back with the joker card and said: 'You shut the f*** up, because if the world knew what you had done, you are lost'. I said: 'You are right, but this is not the relationship I can live with. This is impossible. We need a break.'"
The German publication Bild am Sonntag reported at the time that Barbara was paid a lump sum of DM30m (nearly £10m), despite having only been guaranteed DM5m in their prenuptial agreement. It was also agreed that Boris would pay for the upbringing of their two sons, Noah and Elias, and that Barbara could choose between their £1.8 million home on Fisher Island near Miami, Florida, or their home in Munich
As reported by The Telegraph, Barbara Becker had originally asked for the equivalent of £15 million, while Boris had initially offered £5 million, with the final sum being halfway between these amounts. Speaking on behalf of Boris' lawyers in Munich, Dana Clay, stated that it had been 'paramount to him that they reach some kind of quick settlement', adding, 'He was so completely broken up about what this was doing to the children'.
You can catch Boris Becker: The Rise and Fall tonight (February 6) at 9pm on ITV1. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , and
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