Wimbledon winner was left penniless and forced to sell trophies plus £9m house
Boris Becker, the tennis legend who won Wimbledon three times, was once a global icon with a fortune built on Grand Slam titles and endorsements. At his peak, his wealth reached an estimated £100million, but a series of reckless financial decisions and legal troubles left him bankrupt.
He was forced to auction his cherished trophies and surrender his lavish Mallorcan mansion, as his life of luxury crumbled before his eyes. This is the story of Becker's dramatic fall and his struggle to rebuild.
Becker's career was nothing short of extraordinary. Bursting onto the scene in 1985, he became Wimbledon's youngest men's singles champion at 17, a record that still stands. His ferocious serve-and-volley style and unrelenting intensity secured six Grand Slam titles - three Wimbledons (1985, 1986, 1989), two Australian Opens (1991, 1996), and a US Open (1989).
His charisma and flair made him a global star, commanding millions in sponsorships. After retiring in 1999, Becker transitioned into coaching, most notably guiding Novak Djokovic from 2013 to 2016. Under his mentorship, Djokovic won six Grand Slams, cementing Becker's reputation as a shrewd tactician and expert technician.
He also became a familiar voice at Wimbledon as a BBC commentator and pundit, where his sharp insights and first-hand experience captivated audiences.
The unravelling began when Becker was declared bankrupt in 2017 over an unpaid £3m loan tied to his sprawling Mallorcan estate, known as 'The Finca.' Purchased in 1997 for £500,000, the 10,000-square-foot villa in Alaro, Mallorca, boasted seven bedrooms, a swimming pool, a tennis court, and a basketball court.
Valued at £9m at its peak, it was a symbol of his success - until it became a financial albatross. Becker poured millions into renovations, but by 2018, he had abandoned the property, leaving it a "dilapidated ghost house" with graffiti-covered walls and a collapsed roof.
In 2020, he handed over the keys to a British bank to settle debts, marking a low point in his saga. The losses mounted, and to clear his debts, Becker's tennis trophies - symbols of his six Grand Slam victories - were auctioned off.
In 2018, 82 items, including a replica of the 1985 Wimbledon trophy, fetched £700,000. The sale was a painful reminder of how far the German had fallen, as he parted with the relics of his glory days to appease creditors.
Becker's financial woes were compounded by legal troubles. In 2022, he was convicted of hiding £2.5m in assets and loans to avoid paying debts, violating UK insolvency laws. The charges related to undisclosed assets, including a £1m German property and tech firm shares.
Found guilty on four counts, Becker was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. He served eight months at HMP Wandsworth and Huntercombe before his release and deportation to Germany in December 2022. The trial laid bare his financial mismanagement, with prosecutors highlighting his attempts to sustain a lavish lifestyle despite crippling debts.
Becker's personal life has also been turbulent. Twice married, he has four children from past relationships and last month, at 57, Becker announced he was expecting his fifth child with his 35-year-old wife, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro.
The couple, married in a lavish 2022 Italian ceremony, have faced public scrutiny, but Lilian has remained a steadfast supporter through Becker's legal and financial battles.
Despite his setbacks, Becker is fighting to get his life back on track. Since his release, he has returned to tennis commentary and his family, particularly Lilian, provides a foundation for his recovery. Yet, the Mallorcan mansion, now a derelict shell, and the auctioned trophies stand as stark reminders of his fall.
Becker's journey - from Wimbledon's youngest champion to a cautionary tale of excess - reflects the fragility of fame and fortune. With a new child on the way and no longer bankrupt, he stands at a crossroads, determined to rewrite his story, chasing redemption with the same ferocity that once made him a titan of the tennis world.
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