Why Three-Time Wimbledon Winner Boris Becker Was Banned From the UK

In the sport of tennis, no tournament is more iconic than Wimbledon. Winning the legendary championship just once is the dream of almost every player who sets foot on a court.

To lift a trophy at SW19 on multiple occasions is even more difficult. When it comes to the gentleman’s singles title, only 16 men have won the championship three or more times in the 149-year history of the event. Even British tennis legend, Andy Murray, has only won the coveted title twice.

However, one member of that select group to have won Wimbledon on three or more occasions is now banned from the UK and unable to visit the tournament where he once made history.

Three-Time Wimbledon Winner Currently Banned From Tournament That Made Him Famous

At the age of just 17 years and 227 days, Boris Becker became the youngest man ever to win Wimbledon in 1985. He retained his title the following year, before claiming it for a third time in 1989.

Over the years, Becker’s legend grew as he became synonymous with the tournament. He later carved out a yearly role as an analyst for the BBC’s coverage of the event.

Becker’s world, though, would come crashing down around him in 2022, when he was jailed for two-and-a-half years for hiding £2.5 million worth of assets to avoid paying debts after he was declared bankrupt.

The 58-year-old only served eight months of that sentence, but was immediately deported from the UK after his release. As a result of his deportation, Becker is now banned from the UK, although the German is currently in the process of appealing that sanction.

‘I Miss Wimbledon’ – Banned Player Desperate to Return to SW19

Reflecting on his time in prison during a recent interview with The Telegraph, Becker described how the experience had changed him as a person.

“When you are incarcerated, you literally lose everything,” he admitted. “All that is left is your personality, your character. So you have to dig down inside to ask, ‘OK, who am I? Is this going to kill me, or is this going to make me stronger?’”

Becker went on to admit how much his ban from Wimbledon hurt him, describing the venue as his ‘birthplace’.

“I don’t think I miss London, but I miss Wimbledon,” he declared. “It’s my birthplace, in a sense.

“I feel so close to the club, to the courts. I have a story on every court, in every corner, in the locker room, in the car park. I probably know Wimbledon better than anyone else alive.”