Boris Becker has said he came out of prison ‘stronger’ in an emotional video he shared with fans.
Boris Becker was freed from prison and deported from the UK at the end of last year after serving eight months of his sentence.
Becker posted a video while on a beach on the west African island São Tomé and Príncipe.
Instagram: Boris Becker
The three-time Wimbledon champion was jailed for two-and-a-half years in April for hiding £2.5million of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
The former world number one turned commentator was declared bankrupt on June 21, 2017 – owing creditors almost £50m – over an unpaid loan of more than £3m on his estate in Majorca.
The 55-year-old German, who has lived in the UK since 2012, was expected to serve half of his sentence behind bars but was released on Thursday morning and deported.
Becker’s lawyer Christian Oliver Moser said the former tennis star “served his sentence and is not subject to any penal restrictions in Germany”.
Boris Becker has said he came out of prison ‘stronger’ in an emotional video he shared with fans.
Instagram: Boris Becker
Now, Becker has shared an update with fans.
He posted a video while on a beach on the west African island São Tomé and Príncipe.
He said: “Well, it's the last day of the year, and I want to say a couple of words to all my loved ones and the people that respect me and stood by me in a truly difficult, I call this the most difficult year of my life.
“But it’s done, it’s dusted, I came out alive. I think I came out stronger. I think my mental health is better than ever before, but without the help and support and love and appreciation of so many people, I wouldn't have made it.
“So thank you. Thank you, thank you. A big shout out. Now, let's call it quits, 2022 is over. Thank you very much and see you next year. God bless.”
In May, Becker is said to have been transferred to a lower security jail for foreign criminals awaiting deportation – the category C Huntercombe Prison near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire – after previously reportedly being held at the category B Wandsworth Prison in south-west London.
The six-time grand slam winner qualified for automatic deportation because he is a foreign national without British citizenship and was jailed for over 12 months.