Boris Becker: "It's disrespectful to buy ten Ferraris... I've met the richest people and they were a**h***s"

The German tennis icon, Boris Becker, has recently shared his thoughts on experiencing prison life, financial prosperity, and scarcity, among other significant values. The former tennis player, coach, and commentator achieved notable feats during his professional career and retired from the sport in 1999.

The Leimen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany, native is widely known as one of the greatest players of all time and has clinched 49 career singles titles, 105 doubles titles, including 13 Masters titles and six Major titles. Boris Becker was officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003.

The winner of three Wimbledon Championships, Becker served a prison sentence for eight months, for his two-and-a-half-year sentence, as he had concealed £2.5 million in assets and loans in a bankruptcy fraud case in 2022.

His trial took place at the Southwark Crown Court, London, UK, and he served eight months at HM Prison Huntercombe, which is used to detain foreign criminals. Becker was released from prison in December 2022 and deported from the UK to Germany.

During his recent interview with DER SPIEGEL's Frauke Hunfeld and Thomas Huetlin, Boris Becker revealed his thoughts on surviving prison, the significance of money in his life, among other things.

"I've always had respect for money. I think it's disrespectful to buy ten Ferraris. But it doesn't define me today either. I've met the richest people in the world, believe me, and they were a**h***s. And I've met the poorest people, and they were wonderful. The good thing was that money has never meant much to me," he said.

He added:

"Neither when I was very wealthy nor when I was in financial difficulty. I was also never the type to buy expensive cars and ten houses. In prison, I didn't feel like a lesser person because I had no money. Everyone had little. I took on two jobs, and my highest weekly income was 35 pounds. You can live well in prison with that."

Boris Becker, the former coach of Novak Djokovic, also won an Olympic gold medal in the doubles category at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

---

Boris Becker reflects on his wife's important role during his stay in prison

Boris Becker and his wife Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro - Source: Getty

The decorated former tennis player, Boris Becker, married his third wife, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, in September 2024 and is expecting their first child. He had shared his thoughts on his wife's significant role in keeping him mentally healthy during his stay in prison.

"Talking to my wife on the phone was my lifeline and the only way I could be myself," he added during an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Last month, Becker was honoured with the Legend award at the Sport BILD Awards for his legacy in tennis.