Former German tennis player Boris Becker has faced threats of violence and food shortages during his eight-month stay in a British prison.
The three-time Wimbledon champion was due to serve two-and-a-half years for obstructing bankruptcy proceedings but was released last week. He shared his experiences from prison in an exclusive interview for the television station Sat.1, which, according to German media, paid half a million euros (12 million crowns) for the interview.
Becker, 55, admitted he feared attacks from other inmates when he arrived at Wandsworth prison. “The clouds of films he’s ever seen haven’t helped much,” said the former world number one, who has since been transferred to Huntercombe prison. The threats came, but he was helped by three experienced fellow prisoners who intervened.
He lost a lot of weight behind bars. “For the first time in my life, I knew hunger,” said Becker, who became a millionaire as a teenager. He had to settle mostly for rice, potatoes and gravy. “‘Sunday Roasts’ were chicken legs,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion.
In November, her friends managed to get three chocolate cakes for her birthday. “I have never experienced such solidarity in freedom,” Becker said. According to him, she wants to keep in touch with his friends from prison.
The court sent him behind bars for withholding assets and illegally transferring hundreds of thousands of euros to avoid paying off debts after declaring bankruptcy. “Of course I was guilty. It could have been a lot worse,” said Becker, who was found guilty on four of the 29 charges.
For the past ten years he has lived in England, from where he was deported to Germany upon his release. But he probably won’t stay in his native country. For privacy, he and his partner Lilian are considering moving to Dubai or Miami.