Boris Becker (55) once again spoke about his stay in prison and the time afterwards on the BBC radio show “5 Live Breakfast”. “Anyone who says prison life isn’t hard and difficult is, in my opinion, lying,” said the three-time Wimbledon winner. He was surrounded by dangerous criminals and “you fight to survive every day. You quickly have to surround yourself with the ‘tough guys’, as I would call it, because you need protection.”
Becker went on to explain that being a well-known tennis player didn’t count for anything in prison. “If you think you’re better than everyone else, you lose,” he said. “The only currency you have is your character and your personality.”
Becker was released from Huntercombe Prison near London after seven months in prison. He said he had been out of prison for three and a half months and was “very impressed with the reception I’ve had from fans, from people on the street and from people who have followed the story a little.” He’s lucky “that I can stand on my feet, nobody let me fall, they welcomed me home”. When you’ve been down like he’s been for the past five or six years, “you really find out who’s by your side and who’s not.”
Becker, who will not be allowed to return to British soil after his release until October 2024, went on to explain: “I miss London, I really miss Wimbledon and I won’t be there this year.” The most prestigious tennis tournament in the world in the London district of Wimbledon will take place from July 3rd to July 16th, 2023.
The tennis legend once worked as a BBC pundit for the tournament and would happily return in that capacity in the future. Becker said he spoke to the BBC about being part of their Wimbledon coverage in the future. “If I’m allowed to come back, I’ll call and ask if they want me back in the team. I’d definitely like to do it, but it’s not my decision.”
Becker had already explained to the British “The Telegraph” at the end of March that the almost eight months in prison had once again shown him how glad he must be to be alive – and not just since his imprisonment: “People like me, who have been through so much on a global scale, will not live past 50. To be here at 55 and to be able to tell my truth with the help of a few friends is very important.”
A new two-part AppleTV documentary “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker” (since April 7) about the exceptional athlete is dedicated to his unprecedented rise to number one in the ATP world rankings. With a dual narrative structure and divided into the two sections “Triumph” and “Disaster”, the documentary illuminates the life of its protagonist, which apparently always oscillates between extremes.
