Boris Becker faces possible jail term after guilty verdicts

Boris Becker was found guilty of four charges relating to his 2017 bankruptcy

Boris Becker was found guilty of four charges relating to his 2017 bankruptcy

Former tennis star Boris Becker will learn on Friday whether he faces a lengthy jail term after he was found guilty by a British court of charges relating to his 2017 bankruptcy.

The six-time Grand Slam champion, 54, was convicted over his transfer of huge amounts of money from his business account, failing to declare a property in Germany and concealing 825,000 euros ($866,500) of debt and shares in a tech firm.

He told jurors he did not know the whereabouts of the memorabilia, including two of his three Wimbledon men's singles trophies.

The former world number one told the jury how his $50 million ($40 million) career earnings were swallowed up by an expensive divorce from his first wife Barbara Becker, child maintenance payments and "expensive lifestyle commitments".

The German, who has lived in Britain since 2012, said he had cooperated with trustees trying to secure his assets, even offering his wedding ring, and relied on the advisers who managed his life away from tennis.

- 'Vast amount' -

But the German, who went on to coach current world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, work as a TV sports commentator and act as a brand ambassador for firms including Puma, said his income "reduced dramatically" following his retirement in 1999.

He also owed the Swiss authorities five million francs (about $5.1 million) and separately just under one million euros in liabilities over a conviction for tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002.

His lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said at the time of his bankruptcy that Becker was too "trusting and reliant" on his advisers.

Nicknamed "Boom Boom" Becker for his ferocious serve, he won Wimbledon for a third time in 1989.

Becker turned to commentary after his retirement, landing a high-profile role on the BBC, but he returned to the court in 2013 as the coach of Djokovic, helping the Serb win six more Grand Slam trophies before the pair parted ways in 2016.

...