BERLIN: Disgraced former tennis superstar Boris Becker was due back in Germany on Thursday after being deported following his release from a British prison where he served a sentence relating to his 2017 bankruptcy, his lawyer said.
The 55-year-old German six-time Grand Slam champion “was released from custody in England and has left for Germany today,” his Berlin-based attorney Christian-Oliver Moser said in a statement.
He added Becker has “served his sentence and is not subject to any penal restrictions in Germany.”
Moser declined to provide information on where Becker would arrive and said any requests for interviews “will not be answered.”
News magazine Der Spiegel said Becker landed in Munich in the afternoon on a chartered private plane but later withdrew the report, saying that he had not been on board although he was on the passenger list. Daily Die Welt said Becker had landed in Stuttgart.
German national Becker was jailed for two and a half years in April for flouting insolvency rules by hiding £2.5 million ($3.1 million) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
He had been declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors £50 million over an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his estate on the Spanish island of Majorca.
A judge at Southwark Crown Court in south London told Becker, who has lived in the UK since 2012, that he would serve half of his sentence in prison. However he was released on Thursday morning.
Becker was initially reported to have been held at Wandsworth Prison in southwest London, near the All England Club at Wimbledon where he won three titles.
He was then transferred to the lower-security Huntercombe prison near Oxford, southern England, for foreign criminals awaiting deportation.
Becker qualified for removal as he is not a British citizen and received a custodial sentence of more than 12 months.
The Sun newspaper on Tuesday said Becker’s mother Elvira, 87, told a friend that her son’s release from prison was “the best Christmas present I could hope for.”
“I cannot wait to hold my beloved son in my arms,” she was quoted as saying.
Media reports suggested he would stay with friends in Frankfurt.
During his trial, Becker recounted how his career earnings were swallowed up by a costly divorce from his first wife Barbara, child maintenance payments and expensive lifestyle.
He said he was “shocked” and “embarrassed” when he was declared bankrupt and had relied on advisers to manage his life outside tennis.
But he insisted he had cooperated with trustees trying to secure his assets.
Judge Deborah Taylor disagreed, telling him he had shown no remorse or acceptance of his guilt.
“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,” she said.
Becker, with a shock of strawberry-blond hair, shook up the tennis world in 1985 when he became Wimbledon’s youngest men’s singles champion at 17.
Nicknamed “Boom Boom” Becker for his ferocious serve, he repeated the feat the following year and won a third title in 1989.
He also won the Australian Open twice and the US Open during his glittering career, becoming the top-ranked player in the world in 1991.
He landed a high-profile commentary role with the BBC after his retirement, but returned to the court in 2013 coaching Novak Djokovic.
On Wednesday, excerpts were released of a new Apple TV+ documentary on Becker from the time leading up to his very public downfall.
Just before he was sentenced, an emotional Becker admitted he had hit rock bottom. “I don’t know what to make of it,” he said.
But added: “I will face it. I’m not going to hide or run away. I will accept whatever sentence I’m going to get.”
Becker deported to Germany from UK after prison release
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Becker deported to Germany from UK after prison release
- German national Becker was jailed for two and a half years in April for flouting insolvency rules by hiding £2.5 million of assets and loans
- Becker, with a shock of strawberry-blond hair, shook up the tennis world in 1985 when he became Wimbledon’s youngest men’s singles champion at 17
Learning every day: Kuwait players reflect on DP World ILT20 season 4
- ‘To play alongside players like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Jonny Bairstow is a very big moment for me,’ says Mohammed Shafeeq of MI Emirates
DUBAI: Season four of the DP World ILT20 marked a significant step in the league’s regional development efforts, with players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia earning selection at the first ever auction and featuring across all six franchises.
Each team acquired at least one player from the two countries, offering emerging cricketers the opportunity to train and compete alongside some of the world’s leading players.
The DP World ILT20 season four ended on Jan. 4, with the Desert Vipers overcoming the MI Emirates to secure their first title.
Speaking over the course of the tournament, the Kuwait players reflected on their experiences and the opportunity to work alongside established international cricketers.
Captain of the Kuwait cricket team, Mohamed Aslam, said: “It’s a great opportunity for me to represent Sharjah Warriorz in the DP World ILT20, and we are getting a lot of experience in the dressing room.
He said he was sharing the dressing room with “leaders like Tim Southee and Sikandar Raza. I have gotten a lot of information from them and learned many things by asking questions.
“As an associate cricket player, this is a very good opportunity. I hope to apply all of this in Kuwait and do our best.”
Mohammed Shafeeq became the first player from Kuwait or Saudi Arabia to feature in a DP World ILT20 fixture when he played for the MI Emirates against the Dubai Capitals.
“The support from the coaching staff has been amazing because this is a completely different feeling for us. It will help us in the future, as the coaches are always watching us and giving technical inputs.”
“It is a very big moment for me to be part of this team and to play alongside players like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Jonny Bairstow,” he added.
“All of them are top players and operate at different levels. They consider us for every match, and that means a lot to me.”
The Dubai Capitals’ Anudeep Chenthamara said: “I would like to thank the Kuwait Cricket Board and DP World ILT20 for giving me this opportunity, it is a big one for me and the whole team.
“There has been a lot of experience and learning over here. We have worked with experienced players and coaches; I have been able to work on many things from the basics to the higher level. For example, I have changed the base of my run-up.”
Echoing these sentiments, the Gulf Giants’ Meet Bhavsar, who has played 73 T20Is for Kuwait, said: “It’s been a great experience to share the dressing room with the superstars of modern-day cricket.
“Facing somebody like Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets has been really challenging and helped me immensely. I will try to share as much as I can with the rest of the Kuwait team, and I am grateful for the chance to be here.”
Representing the Desert Vipers, Bilal Tahir said: “We are learning a lot every day. We have very good coaches, a great environment, and the style of teaching really helps us improve.
“Playing with these stars is a dream for us because they are legends, and we learn so much from them. Just the other day in the nets, Fakhar Zaman told me how to improve certain things. I am very thankful to the Desert Vipers for giving us this opportunity.”
Adnan Idrees, whose services were secured by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, added: “It’s a great experience and I’m really enjoying my time here.
“Learning from legends is always a blessing, and sharing the dressing room with players like Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone makes me feel my game will improve a lot.
“I keep getting tips from them about staying focused on my game, and I’ve learned a lot already. They are gems as people and as cricketers, and it’s a joy to share the dressing room with them.
“I feel blessed to be part of the DP World ILT20 and hope more players get the chance to come here.”
