Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker sentenced to two years in prison

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

The 54-year-old six-time Grand Slam champion was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act. The case focused on Becker’s bankruptcy in June 2017 resulting from an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Judge Deborah Taylor said he had shown no remorse, humility or acceptance of guilt. Referring to Becker’s previous conviction for tax evasion in Germany in 2002, she told the former world number one: “You did not heed the warning you were given and the chance you were given by the suspended sentence and that is a significant aggravating factor…”

She added, “You have… sought to distance yourself from your offending and your bankruptcy. While I accept your humiliation as part of the proceedings, there has been no humility.”

German newspaper Handelsblatt writes: “London has finally become a place of destiny for Becker. He celebrated his greatest victories in the British capital, winning what is probably the most important tennis tournament in the world three times. On the ‘sacred lawn’ of Wimbledon, the 17-year-old Leimener once became a world star.”

“Now the city is inextricably linked to his greatest defeat. He must remain in prison for at least 15 months before being allowed to spend the remainder of his sentence on probation.”

Handseblatt adds: “In his native Germany, Becker has repeatedly become the target of ridicule and malicious joy because of his private stories – in Great Britain, on the other hand, he is still held in high esteem.”

On Friday evening, journalist Piers Morgan took to Twitter to offer his support for the six-time Grand Slam champion. In response to Becker’s sentence, Morgan tweeted: “So sorry about Boris Becker. Great guy, and always enjoyed his company. See you on the other side, mate.”