Inside the rise and fall of Boris Becker from Wimbledon champion to prison

Boris Becker was once the tennis world’s golden boy, when he took the world by storm back in the Summer of 1985 by becoming the youngster ever Wimbledon men’s singles champion at the tender age of 17.

As his career skyrocketed from that point onwards, Boris went on to win the accolade three times over, as well as securing two Australian Open titles, and one US Open title.

However, his idyllic life was soon turned on it’s head when the tennis player was jailed in April 2022 for hiding £2.5 million in assets and loans that he was required to disclose while filing for bankruptcy.

Boris Becker made history in 1985 by becoming the youngest ever Wimbledon winner in the mens singles competition at the age of 17
(Image: Getty Images Sport)

Now, almost two years on from that sentencing, a new documentary for ITVX will delve into the captivating story of how the three-time Wimbledon champion lost everything he has worked for in a highly publicised bankruptcy trial which sent the entire tennis community reeling.

Filled with interviews from the people that knew him best, alongside previously unseen footage of the athlete, Boris Becker: The Rise and Fall will chart the tennis ace’s rise to fame – and ultimately his fall from grace.

But who exactly is Boris Becker and where is he now?

Who is Boris Becker?

Boris Becker is best known for being Wimbledon’s youngest ever men’s singles champion
(Image: Getty Images)

Boris Franz Becker, 54,is a German former world No. 1 tennis player that took the world by storm back in the Summer of 1985 when he famously became the youngest ever player to win the male singles title at Wimbledon.

Following his success on the court, Boris continued to go from strength to strength as he won title after title at various competitions around the world – something which soon saw him regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

In fact, over 20 years after his initial success, Tennis Magazine still considered him a force to be reckoned with when they named him as one of the 40 greatest players on its 40th anniversary in 2006.

Bankruptcy Fraud

In April 2022, Boris Becker was sentenced to 30 months in prison for committing bankruptcy fraud
(Image: Getty Images)

Despite his sporting stardom, Boris went on to prove that he was far from infallible, when he was sent to prison in April 2022 for hiding £2.5 million in assets and loans that he was required to disclose as part of a bankruptcy claim.

The case all stemmed from Boris’s decision to file for bankruptcy back in 2017, after a loan taken out to pay for his £3 million luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain remained unpaid.

As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, Boris was legally required to declare all of his assets to his trustee, so that the available funds could then be split between his creditors – who in total were owed almost £50million when he was declared bankrupt.

However while filing for bankruptcy in court, he failed to disclose, concealed and removed significant assets from the Official Receiver and his Trustee, including his share of a property in Leiman, Germany, and 75,000 shares in a software company.

After his deception was uncovered, criminal proceedings were launched against the tennis star, and during his 2022 trial, Boris was found guilty of removal of property, two counts of failing to disclose estate and concealing debt.

He was however, acquitted on charges of failing to hand over his tennis trophies.
(Image: Getty Images)

He was however, acquitted on a further 20 charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over his tennis trophies and medals.

As a result of his crimes, on 29 April 2022 Boris was sentenced to 30 months in prison, with the athlete serving his time initially as HM Prison Wandsworth before being transferred to HM Prison Huntercombe, which is primarily used to detain foreign nationals.

After serving eight and a half months of his sentence, Boris was released from prison on 15 December 2022.

Where is Boris Becker now?

Since being released from prison, Boris Becker has returned to his native country Germany
(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Following his release from prison, Boris immediately left the UK to return to native country Germany, as he was eligible for automatic deportation due to being sentenced to more than 12 months in prison.

Reflecting on his 231 day stay in custody, Boris previously told BBC Radio 5 Live : “Whoever says that prison life isn’t hard and isn’t difficult, I think is lying. It was a very brutal … a very, very different experience to what you see in the movies, what you’ve heard from stories.

“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.”

Life behind bars also “humbled” Boris, as per his own admission as he added: “I’m a survivor; I’m a tough cookie. I’ve taken the incarceration, but I’ve also taken the glory and if anything this made me a stronger, better man.”

Is Boris Becker allowed back in the UK?

Boris is currently unable to return to the UK until at least October 2024.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Following his conviction, Boris will not be allowed to return to the UK until October 2024 at the earliest, as a deportation order against him remains in force.

As per The Guardian, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Any foreign national who has been convicted of a crime and deported is prohibited from returning for as long as the deportation order made against them remains in force.”

Boris has however confirmed that he misses London, and would “love” to return to the city in the future, to perhaps resume his commentating role at Wimbledon in the years to come.

Although the star is said to have been in contact with the BBC about the potential return, he did add: “it’s not [his] decision”.

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