Boris Becker confessed he was “surprised” his wife remained by his side when he had “nothing”. The six-time Grand Slam winner was declared bankrupt in 2017 and subsequently sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail in late April 2022 after being convicted of concealing assets worth $3.4 million.

Becker first gained fame as a 17 year old when he won the Wimbledon trophy in 1985. He shone on the grass at the All England Club, securing another two titles at SW19.

The German also claimed victory at the 1989 US Open and two Australian Open tournaments before retiring in 1999. He frequently appeared as a commentator on the BBC at Wimbledon prior to his imprisonment and coached Novak Djokovic from 2013 to 2016.

Last September, Becker wed his third wife, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, in a ceremony in Portofino, Italy. On the eve of this year’s Wimbledon, he announced that Lilian, whom he first met in 2018, was expecting their child.

The tennis legend was accompanied by his wife during an interview with The Times in Milan, where he discussed a range of topics, including his time in jail and the horrific death threats he received.

Becker, who is 22 years older than his wife, spoke openly about Lilian during the conversation. He disclosed: “She is obviously a very attractive woman, but I felt that from the first day we had lunch together alone, we had this instant intellectual connection.

“Even though she’s 20 years younger I feel like she has an old soul and I like to think my soul is a bit younger, so we met in the middle. I was a little bit surprised that women still stay with you if you have nothing. I didn’t experience that much before.”

Speaking about his time behind bars, he shared: “I can even go as far as it maybe saved my life because I’m a better man now than I was before.

“It’s embarrassing but I’d never used the kettle. I had my wife, my kids, someone, if I wanted tea. I wasn’t making my own tea. Never happened.”

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He also offered some wisdom for life: “Do whatever you have to do today. Yesterday is over and tomorrow nobody knows what’s going to happen.

“I was the best tennis player in the world for a while and I feel like I have that mindset again. And, if I go a little bit off, I have a wife who’s watching me like a hawk.”