From plethora of Grand Slam titles to jail term: Reliving Boris Becker's topsy-turvy ride
Boris Becker jailed for over two years for bankruptcy case
On Friday (April 29), Germany's former tennis sensation Boris Becker was sentenced to jail for over two years for UK bankruptcy case. After a long trail, it was always coming for Becker after the veteran got involved in a huge controversy for hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds of assets following being declared bankrupt.
Becker's unimaginable downfall
Former world number one Becker faced an unimaginable downfall after he was convicted earlier this month of four charges under Britain's Insolvency Act, which included failing to disclose and remove significant assets in the aftermath of a bankruptcy trial.
For the unversed, the case was out on Becker's bankruptcy in June 2017. It came in the wake of an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain. Things only started to go downhill for the former tennis star as he now finds himself in prison for over two years.
Becker with no remorse or guilt?
After the judgment, it was revealed by Judge Deborah Taylor that the ex-German tennis player displayed no remorse or acceptance of guilt after the verdict was out.
Referring to Becker's previous conviction in tax evasion in Germany in the year 2002, she told him, "You did not heed the warning you were given and the chance you were given by the suspended sentence and that is a significant aggravating factor...
"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."
Becker's dominance on the court
Prior to his bankruptcy case, Becker made a solid name for himself on the court. He was only 17 when he first won his Grand Slam title (in 1985 when he became the youngest singles male player to win the Wimbledon Championships). Later, he went on to win more five majors in his illustrious career. His cabinet comprises three Wimbledon Championships, two Australian Opens, and one US Open trophies.
In addition, he remains the first male player to have appeared in as many as seven Wimbledon titles, being at par with greats such as Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic. However, Swiss maestro Roger Federer tops the list (12). Post retirement, in 1999, he donned several roles and has since commentated at Wimbledon for the BBC.
Becker's heydays as coach
Becker made a mark as a coach, especially serving as Serbian sensation Novak Djokovic's trainer for over three seasons (in 2013). Under his guidance, Djokovic tasted much success and went on to win quite a few championships. For the record, the Serbian won six Grand Slam titles working closely with the German.
Later, Becker was also involved in overseeing youth development and the Davis Cup team at the German Tennis Federation before he decided to step down from the role in 2020.
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