Boris Becker gets emotional about his prison sentence and losing ‘everything' in his life

Boris Becker opened up about his time in prison in the United Kingdom, getting emotional as he reflected on the experience. He spoke about how he had to adapt and learn many things just to survive, and how those challenges taught him deeper lessons about life

Becker was imprisoned in the UK in April 2022 for concealing £2.5 million worth of assets in an attempt to avoid repaying his debts after being declared bankrupt. He was initially handed a two-and-a-half-year sentence. However, he was released after serving just eight months, thanks to a British “fast-track” scheme that allows certain foreign nationals to be deported early.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the German said:

“Every crisis I’ve survived in my life has been positive; I’ve always learned more from my defeats than from my victories. But this was certainly a very existential crisis, in which it was important to find myself again. Just like before Wimbledon 1986. I was in a sporting crisis and decided to do what I believe is right. It worked.”

The six-time Grand Slam champion shared that in prison, none of his titles, fame, or wealth held any value; he was just another person. What truly mattered, he said, was his “personality,” and that’s what he ultimately leaned on to get through the experience.

“Even during that time in prison, I found myself again,” Boris Becker. “I had no other choice. When you lose everything—your freedom, your family, your money, your house—the only thing that remains is your personality, your character. And that’s what I retreated to. My inner self has always been my refuge in difficult times.”

Becker is currently barred from entering the United Kingdom for the next 10 years.

Boris Becker says prison was “very brutal”

During a 2023 interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Boris Becker got candid about his time in prison, describing the experience as extremely harsh. He said prison was “very brutal” to him and made it clear that anyone who claimed otherwise had no idea what it was really like.

Becker said:

“Whoever says that prison life isn’t hard and isn’t difficult, I think is lying. It was a very brutal, a very, very different experience to what you see in the movies, what you’ve heard from stories.”

The German added that his time in prison was a period where he had to fight for survival every single day, even forming connections with murderers and other hardened criminals to protect himself. However, he didn’t speak of the experience with bitterness, rather, he said it ultimately made him a better man.

“You fight every day for survival. Quickly, you have to surround yourself with the tough boys, as I would call it, because you need protection,” Becker said

“I’m a survivor; I’m a tough cookie. I’ve taken the incarceration, but I’ve also taken the glory, and if anything, this made me a stronger, better man,” he added.

At present, Boris Becker seems to be enjoying life to the fullest. He tied the knot for the third time in September last year with his wife Lillian and is now leading a happy and settled life. He has also stayed involved in the tennis world, regularly offering insights on players he supports.