Stich triumph beggars belief. Stich is victor in German battle. Stich steals the Becker thunder. Stich’s power crushes a past master. Stich the unknown storms the court of King Boris. Stich as a parrot. Fanta-Stich!
The headlines said it all. Thirty years ago, 40-1 outsider Michael Stich (pronounced Schteek, as the Daily Mail informed its readers) brushed aside his much-decorated countryman Boris Becker to claim the men’s singles crown at Wimbledon.
As he modestly points out himself, he is one of a small distinguished group to have only won the title once since Bjorn Borg started the business of block-booking the honours board in 1976 (others with one title are Pat Cash, Andre Agassi, Richard Krajicek, Lleyton Hewitt and Goran Ivanisevic).
Stich, however – alongside John McEnroe, his partner in the 1992 Wimbledon men’s doubles – remains the last player to have won both the singles and men’s doubles titles on the All England Club’s grass lawns.
On the eve of this year’s Championships, Stich reminisced with the Wimbledon Channel’s Barry Cowan on the 30th anniversary of his triumph. Here are some of the highlights from their conversation.
On returning to Wimbledon (sadly not this year) and seeing his name among the greats with multiple titles such as Borg, McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic:
“It's not so much that I see my name and think, that's great, it's just the fact that when I enter the court I have a Member's badge on my jacket, that's all it needs to give you that special feeling about being a Member at Wimbledon.
The first time I came back to Wimbledon after my career, I didn't know where to go and what to do, but every door seems to open by itself when you have that membership badge. So that just gives you the sense that you're part of something very special, part of a great tradition and history. Unfortunately there are so many other names that are listed so many more times, but I’m on there for singles and doubles, which is great.”
That just gives you the sense that you're part of something very special
On coming to terms with his achievements:
"I realised what I achieved in my career after my career. I think you have to sit back and look a little bit from the outside [to take in] what you've done over 10 years and what you've achieved with the wins – and obviously Wimbledon is the most prestigious one, the most special.
"It took time to understand. That first visit, and also in 2000 when the club had this big millennium gathering of all the former champions, those are the moments that make you aware of that special success that you had.”
On the tough journey to reach the final in 1991, especially the fourth round hiccup against Alexander Volkov on the court known as “the graveyard of champions”:
"Coming off the semis at the French obviously gave me a lot of confidence… my first big success at a Grand Slam. I knew that I love playing on grass, but there was a big hiccup in the round of 16 where I was out of the tournament basically. Sometimes you need that little bit of luck to go further.
Down a break in the fifth set, you were down a break point and had to stop yourself going down a double break… you had to roll the dice?
"It was a mixture of, well, go for it. What else can happen, you know? You either lose and get a second break and then that's over. It was a mixture of a little bit of confidence but probably more frustration, to be honest, frustration about the way I played it, about the score, so it was brave but the bravery didn't come out of [feeling] I still believe 100% I can win this match."
Where does that bravery come from?
"You don't have much time to think about what to do, about potential results, so you have to make a quick decision, and that includes that you have to live with the result that you create. And I never had a problem with that. I know that a lot of players have that problem, you know, if I make that choice, maybe it doesn't work so I maybe play safe.
"I always played to win. I did not play not to lose and I think that's a big difference. If you play to win you have to take some risk but you have to live with it, with the fact that it might not work, and then you lose, but I could always handle that and live with it.
"I always went out there because I wanted to win, and not just the pure thought of winning, but I had to structure my game to win to beat my opponent, and not to make him make more errors than I did and then win the match because he played, let's say worse than I did. That was never my intention.
"I was kind of a gambler in a way, playing drop shots and serve and volley, quick points, chip and charge, mixing the pace… I also enjoyed that thrill of taking a chance and and taking some kind of risk."
I always played to win. I did not play not to lose and I think that's a big difference
After beating Jim Courier in the quarter-finals, next up was Stefan Edberg – the world No.1 in the semi-final at Wimbledon:
“You can't block out that thought but you have to think well maybe this is your time – or you [lose] 10 or 20% of your mental strength and you lose anyway. So it's about, I'm here, I'm ready. I want to win one more match and go to the finals. Let's do it. I was confident enough to approach it that way.”
On the different mindset of multiple Grand Slam winners such as Federer, Djokovic, Steffi Graf:
"I can't compare myself with all the other names you've just mentioned because they've won multiple times and that's another level to be able to repeat that success at the Grand Slams again and again and again and again. But I can tell you a story: when I reached the final at the French Open in ‘96, coming out from my injury, and I had no expectations. All of a sudden I'm in the finals, and I am in the locker room before the match, and I have a thought for 10 seconds. 'Well, now I have the chance to win the French Open!' And those 10 seconds made me lose that match. Thinking about what might happen just takes away energy, belief, whatever it is."
On Boris trying to psych him out before the 1991 Wimbledon final:
“Ah sure, he always tried to do that! We were ready, we had our bags and the referee came in and said, 'Let's go out' and Boris said, 'Sorry I’ve got to go to the toilet', then he's not seen for the next three minutes. It just comes down to your own mindset, you know, how you react to that, but I was very confident. I was so much looking forward to go out there and win, it didn't bother me. I just said we'll take five minutes, I don't care. I'm ready, I'm gonna beat you. That's it.
"There was so many firsts that year. I finished my first round on Thursday. It was the first time ever that the middle Sunday was played in the history of Wimbledon. It was my first time in the quarter-finals, walking on Centre Court, seeing the sentence from Rudyard Kipling which, you know, impressed me and still does every time I speak about. It was the first ever German Grand Slam final, you know, and Steffi [had won the day before], so everything was so special about that year."
On 14,990 people out of 15,000 probably rooting for Becker:
“If I look at the video. I actually think they weren't sure. Okay, they were obviously favouring Boris, because of his history, being the youngest champion and everything, but because I broke him straightaway in the beginning of the match, we got a rebate and when I broke him back again, they realised something strange or special is happening. Maybe it was not the right [outcome] for them but they accepted it was happening. Boris was the fan favourite but sometimes things turn out differently.”
Boris was the fan favourite but sometimes things turn out differently
What next, after winning four tournaments in 1991 on four different surfaces, the first player for many years to do so?
“And I won my first Grand Slam. What else is to come? I struggled there and obviously there was still Wimbledon and winning the doubles title with Johnny Mac in 1992 and then also the Olympic gold medal were highlights. I was always a very emotional player and ‘92 was a tough year at the beginning.”
On winning the Wimbledon doubles with John McEnroe, an incredible five-set battle over Jim Grabb and Richie Reneberg that finished on Monday:
“We made a good team. But the final was tough. At 13-all on the Sunday, John was really fed up and he walked up to Alan Mills and said, you know, let's not get back out here Monday, let's play a tie-breaker. But in the end he was very happy to do this.
So it was the right decision to have that Monday. You know, old No.1 Court, free entrance, the court was packed with 7,500 people and sunshine for the longest doubles final in the history of Wimbledon – 5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 19-17 and five hours and one minute of playing time – so a lot of things that are still great to remember.”
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