Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Boris Becker's Trophies Auctioned to Pay Debts

Boris Becker. Getty Images

The Wyles Hardy house kicked off an online auction on June 24 to sell German tennis star Boris Becker's trophies and personal memorabilia. The auction ends on July 11.

The youngest winner in Wimbledon's history claimed the first of three titles aged just 17.

One of Wyles Hardy's bankruptcy trustees tasked with handling the case of Becker has appealed to anyone who might have any of the star's missing trophies to come forward.

Mark Ford, one of the trustees of Becker's bankruptcy estate, told AFP: "We have claimed them (the trophies), and we reclaim them again. We issued a joint statement with Mr. Baker last year, so the people having the lost items come forward. Those people know themselves."

According to Ford, Becker's debts could total as much as £50million (56 million euros), and selling the missing trophies could bring a big amount of money to pay the debts.

The six-time Grand Slam winner won 49 titles and more than 20 million euros in prize money during his career. He had become a star at 17, for being the youngest player to win the Wimbledon men's title in 1985.

Becker had been prosecuted in Spain for unpaid debts, notably for works at his luxury home in Mallorca, and also in Switzerland for not paying the priest who led his marriage ceremony in 2009.

In 2002, a German court sentenced him to two years in jail with a fine of 500,000 euros, for evading taxes of 1.7 million euros.

Becker now focuses on his tennis activities, especially in commentary.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.