Tennis star Boris Becker blames bad publicity for failing to pay debts

Former champion is accused of failing to hand over assets, including nine trophies and medals from glittering career

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker arrives with his partner Lilian de Carvalho at Southwark Crown Court in London. EPA

Ex-tennis star Boris Becker has told a jury that bad publicity damaged his personal brand, meaning he could not earn enough money to pay off his debts.

The six-time Grand Slam champion, 54, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court, south London, accused of failing to hand over assets, including nine trophies and medals, after he was declared bankrupt in June 2017.

The star gave evidence in his defence on Monday against 24 charges under the Insolvency Act.

He told the court that a number of high-profile break-ups and bad publicity had led to a drop in his earnings.

“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 criticised in the media," he said.

The court heard the former world number one earned a “vast amount” of money, earning about $50 million in prize money and sponsorship deals.

Mr Becker, who went on to coach current world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, worked as a BBC commentator and acted as a brand ambassador for firms including Puma but said his earnings had “reduced dramatically” after his retirement from professional tennis in 1999.

He said he was involved in an “expensive divorce” with ex-wife Barbara Becker in 2001, involving high maintenance payments to their two sons, and had to support his daughter Anna Ermakova and her mother, in a deal which included a £2.5 million ($3.2m) flat in Chelsea, west London.

“I had a very expensive divorce and [had to pay] support for my daughter and her mother as well, all at the same time,” he said.

German citizen Mr Becker, who was a resident in Monte Carlo and Switzerland before moving to the UK in 2012, said he had “expensive lifestyle commitments”, including a £22,000-a-month rented house in Wimbledon, south-west London.

He also owed the Swiss authorities £4m and separately more than £800,000 in liabilities over a conviction for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion dating back to 2002.

The court heard Mr Becker’s bankruptcy resulted from a £3.85m loan from private bank Arbuthnot Latham in 2013 and £1.2m, with a 25 per cent interest rate, borrowed from British businessman John Caudwell the following year.

At the time, his estimated his yearly earnings were £2.5m, but he said his “income fell at least 50 per cent” and he struggled to make repayments.

“The first year of the loan, I would pay back roughly €1m [$1.1m] but in the second year I had difficulties because various companies didn’t prolong their contracts,” he said.

Mr Becker said he faced publicity “all around the world” but especially in Germany and the UK, which has affected his ability to earn.

“[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,” he said.

Mr Becker denies the charges, which include nine counts of failing to hand over trophies and other awards, seven of concealing property, five of failing to disclose estate, two of removal of property and one of concealing debt.

He is also accused of failing to hand over nine trophies, including two of his three Wimbledon men’s singles cups, an Olympic gold medal, his 1991 and 1996 Australian Open trophies and his Davis Cup trophy and gold coin.

It is alleged he hid €1.13m from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany, and transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds to other accounts, including those of his ex-wife Barbara Becker and estranged wife Sharlely Becker, the mother of his fourth child.

He is also accused of failing to declare two German properties, as well as his interest in the flat occupied by his daughter, and hiding a €825,000 bank loan and shares in a tech firm.

Mr Becker was catapulted to stardom when he became the youngest player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title, aged 17, in 1985.

The trial continues.