Six-time grand slam and German tennis great Boris Becker has been jailed for two and a half years for hiding £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts, Sky Sports reports.
The former world number one was declared bankrupt on June 21 2017, owing creditors almost £50m, over an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
The 54-year-old BBC commentator Becker transferred almost 427,000 euros (around £390,000) from his business account to others, including those of his ex-wife Barbara and estranged wife Sharlely Becker.
Also, he failed to declare his share in a £1m property in his home town of Leimen, Germany, hid an 825,000 euro (almost £700,000) bank loan – worth £1.1m with interest – and concealed 75,000 shares in a tech firm, valued at £66,000.
Becker, who was handed a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion worth 1.7m euro (around £1.4m) in Germany in 2002, was found guilty of four offences under the Insolvency Act between June 21 and October 3, 2017 earlier this month.
Judge Deborah Taylor sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment, of which he will serve half, at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.
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Referring to his previous conviction, the judge said: “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.”
She told Becker: “I take into account what has been described as your fall from grace.
“You have lost your career and reputation and all of your property as a result of your bankruptcy.”
But she added: “You have not shown remorse, acceptance of your guilt and 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, wearing a striped tie in the Wimbledon colours of purple and green, showed no emotion before being taken down to the cells.
Following his retirement, Becker coached current men’s world No 1 Novak Djokovic, worked as a TV sports commentator for broadcasters including the BBC and acted as a brand ambassador for firms such as Puma.
