Becker Would Like West Germans to Keep His Tennis in Perspective

“Is Everybody Crazy?”

Boris Becker, top-seeded in the $1 million Newsweek Champions Cup that begins today, asked that question in a unique article he wrote that appeared recently in the West German magazine Der Spiegel.

In the article, Becker questioned his status as a national hero and the controversy after he announced he will not play Davis Cup for West Germany this year.

Becker was watching television at his home in Leimen, West Germany, when two headlines appeared on the screen. One was that the German Democratic Republic has elections March 18. The other was that he is not going to play for the West German team in a first-round Davis Cup match against Holland.

“What am I now that these two headlines are mentioned at the same time?” Becker asked. “Is everybody crazy?”

Becker, who has set his sights on moving up from his No. 2 ranking to No. 1, went on to say that he is uncomfortable with the notion that he alone represents West German tennis.

Coming off a victory over No. 1 Ivan Lendl in the final of the Stuttgart Classic, Becker will get a first-round bye in the Newsweek. He will play the winner of a first-round match between Jim Grabb and Javier Sanchez.

Stefan Edberg, second-seeded behind Becker, also gets a first-round bye. His first match will be against either Juan Aguilera or Scott Davis.