Boris Becker ‘in dialogue’ over BBC Wimbledon comeback after ‘surviving’ prison
Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has said he's already 'in dialogue' with the BBC over a return to SW19—despite being banned from entering the United Kingdom.
The disgraced tennis legend served eight months of a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for tax evasion last year and was deported to his native Germany in December. Becker, 55, has been on a charm offensive since ending his time behind bars, where he's said he had to "fight every day for survival."
Having enjoyed more success at Wimbledon than any other Grand Slam, Becker became a punditry staple at the grass-court major over the past two decades. And without any plans for an immediate return, Becker claimed talks have taken place to facilitate an eventual comeback in some capacity.
READ MORE: Boris Becker lifts lid on prison life with 'drug dealers, rapists, and people smugglers'
"I've told them I can't come back next year," Becker told BBC 5 Live Breakfast. "If I'm allowed to go back I will make a phone call and ask if they want me back on the team, I would certainly love to but it's not my decision."
Dubbing London his 'favourite city in the world', Becker has been forced to uproot his life and cannot return to the UK as a condition of his release. The Guardian reported in December that he wouldn't be allowed to apply for entry to the UK for 10 years, seemingly ruling out any in-person punditry until at least 2032.
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The notion of a return to the British major may divide opinion among fans after Becker was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act. Becker—who made London his main place of residence in 2012—declared bankruptcy in 2017 but was later found to have hidden £2.5million in loans and assets to avoid solving his debts.
The six-time Grand Slam-winner was once synonymous with Wimbledon, where he was crowned champion three times between 1985 and 1989. "It feels like home in many senses of the word," he told the Evening Standard in 2015. "At the moment I’d be happy to spend the rest of my life with Wimbledon as home.”
Becker has gone into depth regarding the difficulty he faced during his time in prison, which he's described as being 'very different to what you see in the movies'.
"Whoever says that prison life isn't hard and isn't difficult I think is lying," he added during his 5 Live Breakfast interview. "I was surrounded by murderers, by drug dealers, by rapists, by people smugglers, by dangerous criminals. 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."
Almost four decades on from his maiden major win at SW19, Becker will watch the 2023 tournament (and next year's edition) from afar. His romance with the competition isn't over if he can help it, but the UK authorities will have a big say in deciding the extent of his absence.
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