Prison for Boris Becker: a new low point in his extraordinary life

Prison for Boris Becker
Bankruptcy charges
The missing trophies
London, his adopted home
Boris Becker's childhood
A promising young athlete
Becker at Wimbledon
Successful career
Boris Becker's love life
The family of Boris Becker
Death of his father and retirement
Divorce
The 'illegitimate' daughter scandal
Tax evasion
Failed businesses
Second marriage...
...and a second divorce
Trainer of Novak Djokovic
Boris Becker: insolvency
He had more than he told the authorities
Will she wait for him?
Prison for Boris Becker

Boris Becker lost. Judge Deborah Taylor sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison. With good behavior, half the sentence could turn into probation. A tough defeat for the former tennis pro! Find out how this came about by clicking further.

Bankruptcy charges

The former tennis pro was charged by the London court with delaying bankruptcy. Supported by his attorney Jonathan Laidlaw, he pleaded not guilty.

"Past 5 years the hardest of my life"

Before the trial began, Becker told the newspaper Bild: "I'm glad that the process is finally starting and the court will make a judgment. The past five years have been damn long, the hardest of my life."

The missing trophies

Becker was accused of concealing assets after bankruptcy proceedings were instituted against him in 2017. Trophies won by the former tennis pro also mysteriously disappeared.

London, his adopted home

Becker has lived in Wimbledon for many years. His house is not far from the famous tennis court where he became a star in 1985.

A lot has happened in Boris Becker's life since then...

Boris Becker's childhood

Boris Becker was born in 1967 near Heidelberg in Germany. He grew up there with his sister Sabine. His father Karl-Heinz Becker was an architect and an avid tennis player. That is why Boris came into contact with sport when he was a child.

 

A promising young athlete

By the time he was ten, Boris Becker had already won several tournaments and gotten attention for his enormous ambition.

Becker at Wimbledon

In July 1985, the hitherto almost unknown 17-year-old tennis player won the grand slam of Wimbledon. A sensation that made him famous overnight, just like his simple sentence after the win: "I just hit it."

Successful career

Becker has been voted Sportsman of the Year several times and has won 49 titles, including 6 Gran Slam titles. The red-haired athlete was number 1 in the world rankings for 12 weeks.

Boris Becker's love life

In December 93 Becker married the actress and jewelery designer Barbara Feltus.

The family of Boris Becker

The couple have two sons together: Noah, born in 1994, and Elias, who was born in 1999 and is now making a career as a model.

Death of his father and retirement

In 1999, Boris father died. Around the same time, the then 32-year-old tennis star decided to retire from professional sport.

Pictured: Becker with his mother Elvira (left) and his wife Barbara (right) at his father's funeral.

Divorce

In January 2001, Boris and his wife Barbara divorced. The reason was infidelity by the tennis player.

The 'illegitimate' daughter scandal

During his marriage to Barbara, the tennis star became the father of a daughter with Angela Ermakova. She's pictured on the right with daughter Anna in 2018. Becker did not acknowledge paternity until a test proved him to be the father. The story made tabloid headlines for weeks.

Tax evasion

Shortly thereafter, a new headline appeared in the papers.  Becker was convicted of tax evasion in Munich in 2002, a case that damaged his reputation among the German public.

Failed businesses

His promotion for an online poker platform and various failed business ventures further tarnished his image.

Second marriage...

In June 2009, Becker married Sharlely Kerssenberg in St. Moritz. Since then, the Dutch model has been known under the name Lilly Becker. The tennis star proposed to her in front of cameras in the famous German show 'Wetten, dass....'

...and a second divorce

The couple bought a home in London's Wimbledon area in 2009. Their son was born in February 2010 and they separated in May 2018.

Trainer of Novak Djokovic

In London, Becker has worked as a commentator and tennis expert for the BBC. From 2013 to 2016 he coached tennis pro Novak Djokovic with great success.

Everything seemed to be going better. But it wasn't.

Boris Becker: insolvency

Insolvency came in 2017. His trophies and medals were auctioned off. Becker's lawyer, Jonathan Laidlaw, told the magazine Der Spiegel that the auction "raised around £700,000."

He had more than he told the authorities

It became clear during the bankruptcy proceedings that certain trophies were missing. In addition, Becker failed to report other assets. Hence the charges against the formerly celebrated tennis star.

Will she wait for him?

The only bright spot: his new girlfriend Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (pictured) is always by his side. Will she also be there when he gets out of jail?

More for you