Tennis legend Boris Becker has revealed that spending time in prison taught him a valuable life lesson. In April 2022, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for hiding assets after being declared bankrupt and transferring significant amounts of money illegally.
Released early as part of an accelerated deportation program for foreigners, he would normally have to serve half of his sentence before even becoming eligible for release.
Becker, who is not allowed to enter Britain for the next 10 years, recently spoke about his experience in prison during an interview with the BBC. He also openly admitted that a younger version of himself could never have imagined that he would be arrested later in life, but he is grateful that the experience humbled him and taught him that the rules apply to everyone equally.
“I never thought at 17 that I’d be stuck at 54. If anything, it certainly humbled me to realize that, regardless of whether you’re called Boris Becker or Paul Smith, if you break the law, you will be convicted and imprisoned, and that goes for everyone” he said.
Staying in prison changed Boris Becker’s outlook on life
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Six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker said that his time in prison had made him a stronger and better man, which he believed would affect his future decisions.
According to him, anyone who says that life in prison isn’t difficult is lying. Becker shared that during his imprisonment, he was surrounded by dangerous criminals, including rapists and smugglers, and had to fight for survival every day. He also noted that he had to seek protection to ensure his safety.
Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, added: “I think that anyone who says that life in prison isn’t difficult is lying. I was surrounded by murderers, drug dealers, rapists, people traffickers, dangerous criminals“.