Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 27, 2025

'Extremely Dirty, Extremely Dangerous': Boris Becker's Jail Experience

"Extremely Dirty, Extremely Dangerous": Boris Becker's Jail Experience

Former tennis superstar Boris Becker said he relied on "blood brothers" to protect him in a British prison and said his life was threatened twice in his first interview since being released.

The 55-year-old German was deported to Germany after being released last week having served eight months of a two and a half years sentence for flouting insolvency rules by hiding £2.5 million ($3.1 million) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

He had been declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors £50 million over an unpaid loan of more than £3 million on his estate on the Spanish island of Majorca.

In an often emotional three hour interview with German broadcaster Sat.1 the former tennis world number one said the nights in Wandsworth Prison -- not far from where he won the Wimbledon title three times -- were "atrocious."

He said he was fortunate to have forged close ties with a group of inmates he termed "blood brothers" as two prisoners he called 'John' and 'Ike' on separate occasions had threatened him.

'John', serving 25 years for multiple murders, threatened to harm him if he did not give him money.

'Ike' got him on his own and Becker says 10 prisoners "saved my life" rescuing him when he yelled out.

"And then the next day Ike asked if I would accept his apology," said Becker.

"I could have rejected it.

"I encountered him in the laundry. He threw himself down to the ground and begged me for forgiveness.

"I raised him to his feet and hugged him.

"And I told him that I had great respect for him," added a tearful Becker.

Becker says he would remain in contact with those who protected him.

"When you have fought for survival together, that brings you together," he said.

"We needed each other."

'The best beer' 

Becker says the sound of the cell door closing will stay for him for the rest of his life.

"When the cell door closes, then there is nothing left. The loneliest moment I've had in my life."

"The nights were atrocious.

"You could hear the screams from people trying to kill themselves or harm themselves, and people trading swear words.

"You don't sleep."

He described the prison as "extremely dirty and extremely dangerous . . . there were murderers, child abusers, drug dealers, every kind of criminal you can imagine".

The six-time Grand Slam champion claims it required the German ambassador to intervene to obtain an international phone card so he could contact his 87-year-old mother Elvira and other family abroad.

Gradually his conditions improved he taught English and mathematics to a class of 30 inmates and then gained a move to the lower security Huntercombe prison near Oxford, southern England.

However, the governor there declined to permit his friend and compatriot Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to visit him.

"Jurgen Klopp and Johannes B. Kerner (German TV presenter) -- they wanted to visit me in Huntercombe prison," he said.

"So I gave the names -- but the governor said: 'Jurgen is not allowed to visit you, he is too well known. We are concerned for his safety. So we have to reject that.'"

Becker qualified for deportation after being released as he is not a British citizen and received a custodial sentence of more than 12 months.

Becker says a friend had chartered a private plane to fly him to Stuttgart once they knew he would be released and he had gone to stay with a married couple near Heidelberg not far from his home town Leimen.

"Then I drank my first beer," he said.

"Believe me, it was the best beer of my life."

Becker said the traumatic saga had taught him lessons and prison was the last step on his path to becoming a "cleverer and humbler" man.

As for what the future held and where he would live Becker said it was unlikely to be Germany.

"I can't say where I'm going now," he said.

"I don't think it will be Germany. I don't know if I'll stay in Europe -- perhaps Miami. I'm also a big fan of Dubai.

"I've become cautious with my statements about the future."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
×