LONDON: German tennis great Boris Becker was on Friday found guilty of four charges, including failing to disclose, concealing and removing significant assets, under the Insolvency Act 1986 following his bankruptcy trial in London.
The 54-year-old six-times Grand Slam champion, who was on trial at Southwark Crown Court, was facing 24 counts under the act relating to the period from May to October 2017.
Becker, a former world number one who won Wimbledon three times, had denied the charges, including nine counts of not handing over trophies and awards and seven of concealing property valued at more than 1.5 million euros ($1.63 million).
Becker was made bankrupt on June 21, 2017, at the London High Court in connection with a debt to private bankers Arbuthnot Latham & Co.
Under the terms of the bankruptcy order, he was bound to provide full disclosure of assets.
The charges Becker was convicted on included removing property totalling close to 427,000 euros from his bankruptcy estate, failing to disclose ownership of a property in Leiman in Germany, concealing a loan of 825,000 euros from the Bank of Alpinum of Lichtenstein and ownership of 75,000 shares in Breaking Data Corp.
“Today’s verdict confirms that Boris Becker failed to comply with his legal obligation to declare significant assets in his bankruptcy,” Dean Beale, Chief Executive of the Insolvency Service, said in a statement.
“This conviction serves as a clear warning to those who think they can hide their assets and get away with it. You will be found out and prosecuted.”
Last month, the court had heard that Becker “acted dishonestly” by failing to hand over assets including his Wimbledon singles trophies before and after he was declared bankrupt.
Becker will appear for sentencing on April 29.
Tennis legend Becker found guilty of four charges in bankruptcy trial
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Tennis legend Becker found guilty of four charges in bankruptcy trial
- The six times Grand Slam champion was facing 24 counts under the act relating to the period from May to October 2017
- Becker, a former world number one who won Wimbledon three times, had denied the charges
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
