Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Becker on prison, fame and his future

Becker on prison, fame and his future

Tennis great Boris Becker says he is building his life's "third chapter" following his release from prison.

The 55-year-old German served eight months of his two-and-a-half-year sentence for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

He was released in December and was subsequently deported from the UK.

"I'm usually good in the fifth set - I've won the first two sets, I've lost the next two and I'm planning to win that," he told 5 Live Breakfast.

In a lengthy interview, former world number one Becker said:

*  There was "no handbook" for dealing with fame and fortune after winning Wimbledon as a teenager

*  Prison was "brutal" and a "very different experience to what you see in the movies"

*  He's a "stronger, better man" after eight months in prison

The full interview will be played on Saturday's 5 Live Breakfast show.


'Whoever says prison life isn't hard is lying'


The six-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was catapulted to stardom in 1985 when he won Wimbledon aged just 17, was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act in April last year.

The case centred on Becker's bankruptcy in June 2017 resulting from an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Speaking before the release of a new TV documentary about his life and career, 'Boom! Boom! The World vs Boris Becker', Becker said: "I don't think there was a handbook written for how to behave, what to do and how to live your life when you win Wimbledon at 17.

"The fame and fortune after was very new.

"Obviously I never studied business, I never studied finance and after my tennis career I made a couple of decisions probably badly advised but again it was my decision."

Becker is the youngest ever champion of the men's singles at Wimbledon, winning the 1985 title aged 17


After sentencing, Becker spent the first weeks of his detention at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London, before spending the majority of his sentence at Huntercombe Prison in Oxfordshire.

"Whoever says that prison life isn't hard and isn't difficult I think is lying," the three-time Wimbledon champion said.

"I was surrounded by murderers, by drug dealers, by rapists, by people smugglers, by dangerous criminals.

"You fight every day for survival. Quickly you have to surround yourself with the tough boys, as I would call it, because you need protection."

Becker said being a legendary tennis player counted for nothing while he was in prison.

"If you think you're better than everybody else then you lose," he said.

"Inside it doesn't matter that I was a tennis player, the only currency we have inside is our character and our personality. That's it, you have nothing else.

"You don't have any friends at first, you're literally on your own and that's the hard part, you have to really dig inside yourself about your qualities and your strengths but also your weaknesses."


'I miss London'


Following his release, Becker was deported to Germany and will not be allowed to return to UK soil until October 2024.

"I miss London, I really miss Wimbledon and I won't be going there this year," he said

"I'm fortunate that I can stand on my feet, none of my partners have dropped me, they've welcomed me back home.

"When you're down, and the last five, six years were very difficult for me, you truly find out who's with you and who's not with you."

Speaking about how he has been received by people since his release, he said: "Nobody's perfect including myself and I've accepted all of that.

"I've been out now for three and a half months and I'm very humbled again by the reception I've received from fans, from people on the street from people who have followed the story a little bit."

Becker has commentated at Wimbledon for the BBC


The former BBC pundit says he has been in dialogue with the BBC about being part of its Wimbledon coverage in the future.

"I've told them I can't come back next year," Becker said.

"If I'm allowed to go back I will make a phone call and ask if they want me back on the team, I would certainly love to but it's not my decision."


'I'm a stronger, better man'


Becker believes he has learned valuable lessons from his time in prison.

"I never thought at 17 I'd be incarcerated at 54," he said.

"If anything it certainly humbled me, it certainly made me realise that whether you're called Boris Becker or Paul Smith, if you break the law, you get convicted and you get incarcerated, that goes for everybody.

"I never expected the good and I certainly didn't expect the bad but I'm a survivor, I'm a tough cookie, I've taken the penalties, I've taken the incarceration but I've also taken the glory and if anything this made me a stronger, better man.

"With my decisions in the future you can see whether I have learned from it or I didn't."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×