"Talking to her on the phone was my lifeline" - Boris Becker credits his wife for maintaining his sanity during eight-month prison stay

Retired ATP pro Boris Becker will always be remembered for his exploits on the tennis courts. However, the German encountered some legal issues after his retirement that saw him spend some time incarcerated.

A former World No.1 and six-time Grand Slam singles champion, Becker called an end to his tennis career in 1999. Decades after he hung up his racket, the Leimen native was declared bankrupt in 2017 and was later jailed in April 2022 for hiding assets and a loan from creditors.

Furthermore, Becker was also convicted for failing to declare property in his home country and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. The German spent time at both Wandsworth and Huntercombe prisons for the bankruptcy offences before he was released after serving eight months.

Following his release, Becker refrained from publicly commenting much on his incarceration. However, the 57-year old finally broke his silence in an interview with German news outlet, Suddeutsche Zeitung.

The three-time Wimbledon titlist admitted he began to develop mental health struggles during his time in prison, but his wife, Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, remained a strong source of support during the entire process.

"This endlessness eats away at your soul and boils your mind," began Becker. "You quickly realize that prisons are actually controlled by prisoners. Talking to my wife on the phone was my lifeline and the only way I could be myself.
"By October, I was sleeping in my tracksuit and socks. Some nights it was so cold in my cell that I slept in two jackets and two pairs of socks, wrapping a towel around my head. I lost seven kilos in the first four weeks.
"There were several reasons for this: emotional stress, little food, no alcohol, no sweets. Dinner was served at 4 p.m. My wife said with gallows humor, "Boris, you've gotten so slim, shouldn't we ask if you can stay longer?'"

Becker would reveal he spent time building a good relationship with the guards and fellow inmates, and later admitted his time in prison had changed him forever.

"You'll never completely shake that time," said Becker. "You'll take prison with you into your new life. I can only fall asleep if the bedroom door is completely closed.
"In bed, I lie so close to the edge that I almost fall out. When I sleep, even the largest mattress turns into a narrow cot. I'm not a psychologist, so I can only say that things were different before prison."