People: Jul. 21, 1986

A year ago the gangling, inexhaustible teenager became the youngest man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon. Last week Boris Becker, 18, made it clear that the improbable victory was no fluke. He beat the world's No. 1- ranked player, Ivan Lendl, 26, in straight sets with a 150-m.p.h. serve that blurred across the center court's slick grass surface for 15 aces and with volleys that edged deep or skidded down the sidelines. For the West German wunderkind, this year's win was even sweeter than last year's. At a postgame press conference he announced, "I really proved I can play well on grass and proved I can be a Wimbledon champion." But on courts other than grass, he modestly allowed, "I am just one of the best. I'm still beatable. I'm human."