Boris Becker admits he will "never fully recover" from serving prison time and also reveals he found himself in a gambling debt behind bars and needed outside help to pay it off.
In the spring of 2022, the former six-time Grand Slam champion was found guilty of hiding assets after declaring bankruptcy a few years earlier. And after being handed a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence on April 29th, he was deported to a British jail the same day.
As a tennis star and someone accustomed to a high lifestyle, Becker was all but prepared for prison. And he is the first to very openly admit that he felt very scared being around various type of criminals.
I will never fully recover from that moment. Prisons are run by prisoners, not guards. I lost seven kilos in four weeks. Stress, no food, no sweets, no alcohol It was very cold in the cell, a real nightmare. I slept in a tracksuit, two jackets, two pairs of socks, with a towel wrapped around my head," the German tennis legend told Nordic Magazine.
Becker: A friend paid off the debt... If he didn't, I'd have been a different person today
Apparently, Becker gambled with fellow prisoners and lost some money. And since he didn't have enough to pay it off, he started fearing for his safety. Luckily, a friend came through and got him out of the situation.
Gambling was stupid and reckless of me, and I owed 700 to Romanian prisoners. Then they came to my cell and threatened to beat me if I didnt pay. Without the help of a friend who paid the debt via bank transfer, I would be a different person today. This experience had a profound effect on me," the 57-year-old said.
After only eight months served at Wandsworth, Becker was deported to Germany and released in 2022 December. Since then, the former three-time Wimbledon champion hasn't been to Great Britain because he is still banned from entering the nation.
