MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boris Becker released from UK prison

Former tennis legend Boris Becker has been released from a British prison on parole after eight months. He is to be deported from the UK and plans to settle in Frankfurt, it was reported.

The three-time Wimbledon champion was jailed for having concealed his assets -and the ensuing taxes- to avoid paying off his debts. “He served his sentence and is not subject to any criminal restrictions in Germany,” his lawyer Christian-Oliver Moser posted on social media.

While there was speculation that Becker would have to serve half his sentence to be eligible for parole, the 55-year-old former world No. 1 benefited from a special release and deportation program that the United Kingdom has for foreigners.

“It's the best Christmas present I could have. I can't wait to hold my beloved son in my arms again,” Boris' mother Elvira told a source quoted by The Sun.

According to the German outlet BILD, everything happened very quickly on Thursday morning. After several inconveniences due to bad weather, Becker was reported to have left the United Kingdom on a private jet.

In April, Becker was convicted of four charges related to his 2017 bankruptcy under the Insolvency Act and was sentenced to two and a half years in jail for “gaming the system in bad faith” by concealing and transferring assets and depriving his creditors of more than US$ 2.51 million in assets.

Becker made tennis history when he won Wimbledon at just 17 in 1985 and went on to win five more Grand Slam titles over the next 11 years, during which he lifted 49 trophies. After retiring, he coached Serb star Novak Djokovic for a while.

Regarding Becker's future, the German Tennis Federation (DTB) announced the doors were fully open for him for the position he wished. “To put it bluntly: Boris can choose the job,” DTB President Dirk Hordorff has said.