Former British number one tennis player
Andrew Castle said he is 'still reeling' after his 'great mate'
Boris Becker was jailed for two and a half years for fraud.
Three-time Wimbledon
champion Becker was today jailed for flouting the terms of his
bankruptcy by hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid
paying his debts. Afterwards, Mr
Castle, speaking during his slot on LBC radio, said he was shocked by
the news and described Becker as a 'great mate of mine'. He said:
"I've sat alongside him, I've played with
him, I've practised with him, I've been out with him, I've been drunk
with him, he's a good man - he's going to prison for two and a half
years. And I'm, look, I’m shocked
because it's close to me. I'm sad that his life has come to this and I
hope he's able to rebuild on the other side."
Castle further said:
"If you don't pay your creditors, you pay the price. It's
the second time this had happened after what happened in Germany back
in 2002. I thought this was a possibility, but I'm surprised and deeply
shocked that I won't be working with him at Wimbledon this year and that
he's going to go to prison."