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Multiple Grand Slam winner Boris Becker says he thinks he may have won another Wimbledon title had he not taken sleeping pills the night before.

Becker says a constant battle with jet-lag, and the need to sleep to perform, led him to sleeping tablets prescribed by the German Davis Cup doctor. He says he took them for a limited period, and only when the occasion demanded, before the birth of his first son in January 1994 persuaded him it was time to return to "healthy, clean living".

"I lost to Stefan Edberg in the 1990 final in five sets," Becker says.

"I was sleepwalking in the first set and a half, and I think that was a late sleeping pill. I couldn't care less that it was the Wimbledon final or not - you become very slow and not aware of things."

The German, who won six Grand Slams, says the demands of having to continually perform at the highest level took its toll.

鈥淲hen you travel as a tennis player you鈥檙e constantly under jet lag. You play one week in Sydney, the next in Tokyo and the third week in Paris and you have to sleep in order to perform,鈥� he said.

鈥淥bviously you can鈥檛 drink, it鈥檚 three or four o鈥檆lock in the morning and you鈥檙e playing in the morning. What are you going to do?

鈥淚 took softer ones (sleeping tablets) prescribed by my Davis Cup doctor for about a year and a half until I realised they are no good for me,鈥� he added.

鈥淣o it didn鈥檛 last for five years, no, I had many weeks where I could sleep perfectly but when I was under stress and pressure and it was jet-lag, I took sleeping pills.鈥�

This clip is from Boris Becker: 17 Again, Tuesday 16 June 2015.

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