Boris Becker sends Wimbledon a message as tennis star remains banned

Boris Becker had a heartfelt message for his “favourite tournament” as he will be forced to watch Wimbledon from afar this year. A three-time champion at SW19, Becker is currently banned from re-entering the UK after he was deported following a stint in prison last year.

Becker was famously sentenced to 30 months in prison last April after being found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act. The 55-year-old served just eight months under a scheme that deports foreign nationals to relieve pressures on British prisons.

He now faces a ban from returning to the country, as reports suggested he could be barred for as long as 10 years. The German tennis legend previously resided in Wimbledon and was a mainstay in the BBC’s coverage of the tournament.

But facing years away from his self-confessed favourite tournament, Becker was heard sending a message to the All England Club during a recent interview with the Guardian. “Say hello to Wimbledon for me,” the former world No 1 whispered.

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Becker also refused to shed light on just how long he was banned from the UK despite the conflicting reports. But he made it clear that it would be tough to be away from Wimbledon during this year’s Championships.

“Wimbledon is my favourite tournament. I have won it a number of times. I’ve commentated on the final 20 times. I used to live in Wimbledon,” he explained. “So the club is very, very close to my heart and I’ll be watching it from afar.”

The six-time Grand Slam champion already has some experience of watching the event from afar, as he was allowed to witness old charge Novak Djokovic lift the title from prison last year. “I was very emotional when he won. It was a great statement and he’s a friend so I was happy to see him win,” the Serb’s former coach said.

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Despite his infamous bankruptcy and stint behind bars, Becker also believes that he is still popular in the UK. “Well, I lived in the country for a long time and so I was able to show my human side: my personality, my character,” he noted.

“Apparently, we have a similar sense of humour, which is unusual for a German. You have a very dark sense of humour. So I get their jokes and they get my jokes. That’s not necessarily the case in Germany but it is in the UK. It’s a wonderful country. And London is just one of the most amazing cities in the world.”

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