Tennis legend Boris Becker recalls days of struggle after bankruptcy

Tennis legend Boris Becker, on a trial in London for failing to hand over his assets after he was declared bankrupt, told a jury about his struggles with money, including payments for an expensive divorce and debts, when he lost large chunks of his income after retirement.

Becker said on Monday that he was not able to earn enough to pay his debts because of bad publicity when his reputation declined. He said that he had expensive lifestyle commitments, including a house in Wimbledon that cost 22,000 pounds ($28,800) in rent each month.

Becker added that his divorce with ex-wife Barbara Becker in 2001 involved high child support payments for their two sons. He said that it was on top of him having to support his daughter Anna Ermakova and his mother in a deal, which included a 2.5-million-pound ($3.3 million) London apartment.

Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017 and is on trial, being accused of 24 charges, including failing to hand over his trophies and other awards, including an Olympic gold medal, and concealing property from bankruptcy trustees.

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Becker allegedly hid over $1 million from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany, and transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds to other accounts.

The six-time Grand Slam champion denied the charges.

Becker’s bankruptcy resulted from a 4.6 million-euro ($5 million) loan from a private bank in 2013, as well as about $1.6 million borrowed from a British businessman the year after, according to testimony at the ongoing trial, which began last week.

Becker also owed Swiss authorities about five million francs ($5.5 million) and just under one million euros in liabilities, over a conviction for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002.

Becker said that he struggled to pay back the loans because various companies did not prolong their contracts.

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“My image wasn’t as good any more, brand Becker was not regarded as highly as before and they didn’t want to be associated with a brand that was criticized in the media,” Becker said.

“(It is) very difficult when you are bankrupt and in the headlines every week for it. (It is) very difficult to make a lot of money with my name,” Becker said.

(With inputs from Agencies)