Boris Becker, the celebrated former Wimbledon champion, had a watch valued at approximately $6,600 seized by bailiffs acting on behalf of his ex-wife, Lilly Kerssenberg. The incident occurred moments before Becker was scheduled to appear publicly at an event in Bad Honnef, Germany.
Three police officers and a bailiff from Königswinter District Court entered the venue and located Becker shortly before he was due to be interviewed on stage. According to Dr. Michael Scheele, a lawyer representing Kerssenberg, a court order was obtained to seize assets from the six-time Grand Slam winner. As Becker was not carrying cash, the bailiff confiscated his wristwatch.
The seizure is linked to an ongoing financial dispute stemming from Becker's divorce from Kerssenberg, whom he married in 2009 and separated from nine years later. Scheele asserted that Becker has not fulfilled his financial obligations following the divorce, including child support payments for their 16-year-old son, Amadeus.
A spokesperson for the court described the seizure as having proceeded smoothly, noting that Becker was polite and cooperative. The spokesperson confirmed that only the wristwatch was seized as there were no other assets available at the time.
Scheele indicated that Kerssenberg's team will continue to pursue Becker’s assets unless the former tennis star makes a satisfactory settlement offer. "The better alternative is that Boris comes around and makes a decent offer and we come to some sort of agreement," Scheele stated.
However, Becker's lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, contested these claims. Moser told German magazine Bild that Becker has consistently made substantial payments for Amadeus over the years, including voluntary monthly maintenance payments that have been ongoing since August 2025. Moser also revealed that Becker had offered a lump sum of $113,000 to resolve the matter, but Kerssenberg reportedly rejected the offer as insufficient.
This incident marks the latest in a series of public financial controversies surrounding Becker. In 2022, he was released from an eight-month prison sentence in the UK for bankruptcy offenses before being deported to Germany. Becker, 58, won six major singles titles during his illustrious tennis career, including three Wimbledon championships.