For all of his many, many faults – and this series is more than happy to showcase those – Boris Becker is a charismatic personality.
His ability to perform on camera from an early age led to a glorious tennis career, umpteen promotions and endorsements, and a successful second act as a pundit. He could even strike a pose in his role as coach to Novak Djokovic.
So it is a shame that the star of the show plays no part in this two-episode ITV docuseries about his life. The Rise and Fall is instead described by talking heads and illustrated by archive footage. But even in the old clips, Becker is scarcely heard talking beyond berating a noisy crowd, and is mostly seen pushing past paparazzi.
What happened then? Well, Apple got there first and lured him to star in their own documentary Boom! Boom! The World Vs Boris Becker. Though surely be a better name would be Boom to Bust.
Boom! Boom! makes full use of its star, and also has an A list of pundits queuing up to share their sorrow about Becker’s downfall. Apple has contributions from Björn Borg, Ion Èiriac, Novak Djokovic, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, and Michael Stich (combined grand slam titles: 49). ITV has Pat Cash (grand slam titles: 1).
It would perhaps be wise, then, to move away from solely talking about tennis, but the first episode (and the only one available to review) begins with the German winning Wimbledon at the age of 17, in 1985. The timeline then pointlessly jumps around from his Eighties and early Nineties heyday to the mid 2000s as he focuses his attention, apparently, on womanising. From one scandal to another, the series gradually charts Becker’s fall from grace to his eventual bankruptcy and imprisonment.
What it lacks in ex pros, ITV have more than made up for in spurned exes – counting Barbara Feltus, Alessandra Meyer-Wölden, and Sharlely Kerssenberg on their roster. And the narrative flips from sports journalists recounting his serve and volley prowess to “his women” recalling how his charm can turn to coldness.
As with the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon, the most insightful analysis here comes from ex pro Cash, who doesn’t shy away from sticking the boot into his old rival. “Superstars that have been big when they are kids - it’s almost a disaster waiting to happen,” he says.
Becker’s jilted lovers are able to maintain dignity and commandeer the narrative despite their ruined personal lives being on full view. But other talking heads are more obviously enjoying the chance to grandstand, none more so than a self-promoting US judge who proudly quips: “And I told him, you might be king of your court, but now you are in mine”. You have to wonder how many times he has said that line.
The series does not suffer for the number of talking heads on view, but even with Becker’s childhood friends taking part, there is no analysis of his character. Episode one ends without any sense of who the real Boris is, what his feelings were on his success, nor how his character might have changed. It feels very removed from the crux of the matter, and the endless shots of Boris blanking paparazzi gives the Rise and Fall itself the feel of a celebrity magazine.
There is a lot of sleaze to be had with Becker, and ITV makes the most of it. Of course, episode one ends without any real mention of his bankruptcy but with the revelation that he may have fathered a child after an encounter in a broom cupboard of a London restaurant.
Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona is proof that the star of the film doesn’t necessarily need to be sat down and interviewed for a good account of a life to come across. But considering the number of people involved in the Rise and Fall, the lack of depth on display is staggering.
