Wimbledon icon Boris Becker has stated that he lost approximately 95% of his friends following his eight-month prison sentence for concealing £2.5 million from tax authorities. The 58-year-old, who became the youngest men's champion at Wimbledon in 1985, was declared bankrupt in 2017 and subsequently jailed in 2022 for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying taxes. Becker served time at HMP Wandsworth and Huntercombe before his deportation from the UK.
Becker, who also faced a previous tax evasion conviction in Germany in 2002, described his incarceration as a period of profound loss. "When you are incarcerated, you literally lose everything," he told The Telegraph. "All that is left is your personality, your character. So you have to dig down inside to ask, 'OK, who am I? Is this going to kill me, or is this going to make me stronger?"
He indicated that a vast majority of his social circle has disappeared since his release. "I would say that 90 per cent of my former circle is gone. Probably even 95 per cent," Becker stated.
Despite his current situation, Becker is in negotiations with the UK Home Office to have his travel ban overturned. He expressed a longing for Wimbledon, describing it as a significant place in his life. "I don't think I miss London, but I miss Wimbledon," he said. "It's my birthplace, in a sense. I feel so close to the club, to the courts. I have a story on every court, in every corner, in the locker room, in the car park. I probably know Wimbledon better than anyone else alive."
Becker now resides in Italy with his third wife, Lilian, and their young daughter. He explained that living in Germany was not an option due to privacy concerns, and Italy offered him a chance to rebuild his life. He anticipates that some former friends may attempt to re-enter his life. "Of course people are trying to come back into my life," Becker concluded. "But we have a warning system now within the family. And if the alarm bells go off quickly, then I don't mind telling you that I can be unfriendly."
