People: Boris Becker: I have become extremely cautious with people

Boris Becker takes a moment. The former tennis pro arrives for the interview with his wife Lilian. He speaks openly about his time in prison. In Great Britain, he spent 231 days behind bars for bankruptcy offenses, the subject of his book "Inside." Before the interview in Berlin, he has one request: a cigarillo outside the door, alone.

Question: The cigarillo, Mr. Becker. How much did you miss it?

Answer: Not just the cigarillo. I missed that too, of course, but when your freedom is taken away, you can't imagine what it's like beforehand. You miss not only the cigarillo, but also the close contact with your loved ones.

Question: Is there anything you learned from this time?

Answer: Yes, quite a lot. I've reflected a lot on the reasons why I ended up in prison, what were the mistakes, when things went in the wrong direction? It's now been two and a half years since my release and deportation to Germany, and my wife and I have been living in Italy since April 2023. We can be a little proud of how we're back on track today.

Question: Is there anything that you say, “Those were two, three, four lessons that I remember every day”?

Answer: I've become extremely cautious around people. My trust has been damaged. I used to be a people person and just let everyone in. That's no longer the case. I'm very cautious and only have a small circle of friends. And I don't think that will change anytime soon. I've been burned before. There's a saying: "Show me your friends, your circle of friends, and I'll tell you who you are." My circle of friends today is impressive, but I don't show it, I don't talk about it.

Question: How do you know which people are good for you?

Answer: Everyone should take a look at their own circle of friends and figure out who's actually out of place. Who stayed, who supports them, and who doesn't? Many turned their backs on me and then didn't have the time or the desire or didn't want to engage with me, and that's okay. I notice now that most of them are knocking on the door again and would like to play some kind of role again. So, I notice that this tug-of-war around me and this attempt to take me over is being tried again.

Question: Who is Boris Becker after prison?

Answer: I think I've reflected on what made me stand out as a tennis player? What were my strengths? What were my qualities? What were my weaknesses? And I think I've mentally regressed to the time when I played good tennis, when my life was in order.

Question: How narrow is the line between the danger that prison will break you and the chance that you will return to your old strengths?

Answer: There's a saying: "If you've been in prison for ten years or more, prison will never let you go." The prison mentality does something to your psyche. Prison is punishment for mistakes you've made. It hurts enormously and is sometimes even dangerous. Anyone who claims otherwise has no idea. English prisons are perhaps even worse than German ones. Although the 231 days were incredibly long, it was of course only a short stay compared to long-term prisoners. You get over it. With the help of your family and good friends, of course. I don't think I suffered any damage from my time in prison.

Question: Before you went to prison, you had an idea of ​​what it was like through watching films. How do you view prison films now?

Answer: With completely different eyes. What's never really portrayed in a film about a prison, because it's also very boring, is the long time spent alone in a cell. And that's the worst thing about prison. It's not when you're at work or interacting with other inmates, but simply the long time spent alone in a cell. That's the brutal part. But that never comes up in the film.

Question: There are people in prison who have committed very different crimes. How do you deal with that?

Answer: The astonishing thing was that there were no differences. A white-collar criminal was next to a murderer, and a murderer was next to a pedophile, and a pedophile was next to a drug dealer. There's no distinction made as to which crime you committed. That was frightening, and I didn't expect it to be like that.

Question: Did this feeling ever go away?

Answer: It's like everything: We get used to everything, even the worst times. We have to stop judging or condemning people. We all suffer the same, the loneliness of the cell. We all eat the same food, we all look the same. There's no difference in treatment. You quickly lose that "I'm worth more than you" attitude in prison. You're not the judge in prison.

Question: You're in the public eye, always have been. That means people have evaluated you and judged you. You write that Germany was excited by your problems. Did you only have this feeling during the insolvency process?

Answer: I've been a public figure since July 7, 1985 (my first Wimbledon victory, ed.), whether I want to be or not! Strangers judge and evaluate me, regardless of whether they really know me. I'm popular with some and unpopular with others, partly for the same reason. I've learned that I can't please everyone and live my life. Abroad, I'm perceived differently, and I don't have this misconception.

Question: Could you imagine living in Germany again?

Answer: Short answer: No. Of course, that also has to do with the desire for a private life, and also with the desire not to have to read something about me every week—whether good or bad, it doesn't matter. And I think we made a very good choice with Italy.

Question: What is the legal situation? Could you return to England and thus also to Wimbledon?

Answer: I would love to return to Wimbledon. Winning Wimbledon changed my life dramatically, and it's simply part of my DNA. We're in close contact with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (Editor's note), and we're really working together to find a way for me to return soon. But I can't tell you when that will be.

Question: In your book, you write about your difficult financial situation, even after your imprisonment. After two and a half years, how would you describe it now? Are you where you want to be at this point?

Answer: I have not been insolvent since April 27, 2024. I am part of the working population and have to work hard for my income. I didn't inherit or receive anything as a gift. But I shouldn't complain; I'm doing somewhat better financially today, and together with my wife, we are building our wealth.

Question: You have another challenge ahead of you: you're going to be a father again. Have you bought any rompers yet?

Answer: I try—perhaps in contrast to before—to keep my private matters private, meaning I don't share everything with the public. But as a father of four, and soon to be five, I'm extremely knowledgeable about baby matters.

Question: Do you still occasionally hold a tennis racket in your hand?

Answer: Yes, I do. My wife likes to play—it's more difficult at the moment, but she does enjoy playing and wants to play with her husband, which I can understand. My children, my older boys, were recently in Milan, and they wanted to play tennis with their dad too. So I did. There are exceptions, though, when I do unpack my tennis racket again.

Question: And how good are you still?

Answer: I think I'd still beat you. I think I'd even beat everyone in the room.

ABOUT THE PERSON: Boris Becker is one of the most famous Germans in the world. In 1985, at the age of just 17, he won the Wimbledon tennis tournament – ​​a success that, as he himself says, shaped his life. Numerous other sporting successes followed, including six Grand Slam wins. After his professional career, Becker repeatedly appeared in public. In April 2022, he was convicted in London after failing to properly declare assets in bankruptcy proceedings. He served 231 days in prison.

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