Boris Becker: From Wimbledon Champion to Bankruptcy After Divorce
A tennis legend's divorces left him bankrupt — then jailed
Key Facts
What Happened
Boris Becker, who won Wimbledon at 17, faced multiple expensive divorces. His first divorce from Barbara Feltus in 2001 cost him an estimated €14.4 million. He also paid €5 million to Angela Ermakova after fathering a child during a brief encounter at a London restaurant.
His second marriage to Lilly Kerssenberg ended in 2018. By this point, Becker's finances were in ruins. In 2017, he had been declared bankrupt by a UK court over a £3.3 million debt to a private bank.
In 2022, Becker was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison by a UK court for hiding assets from his bankruptcy trustees — including his Wimbledon trophies and €427,000 from the sale of a Mercedes dealership. He served 8 months before being deported to Germany.
The case is a stark warning about the cascading financial destruction that divorce can trigger, especially when combined with poor financial management and attempts to hide assets from courts.
Legal Breakdown: Asset Hiding & Bankruptcy
Cascading Divorce Costs
Multiple divorces and settlements can compound. Each divorce reduces available assets, and new partners may have claims to remaining wealth. Financial planning between marriages is critical.
Cross-Border Complications
Becker was German, lived in the UK, and had assets in multiple countries. Cross-border divorces and bankruptcies are extraordinarily complex — jurisdiction determines which laws apply to asset division.
Hiding Assets Is Criminal
Becker went to prison for concealing assets from bankruptcy trustees. The same principle applies in divorce — hiding assets from your spouse or the court is fraud, and courts take it extremely seriously.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Hiding assets during divorce or bankruptcy is a crime, not a strategy. Courts and forensic accountants will find them.
- →Multiple divorces can devastate even enormous fortunes. Plan your finances carefully between relationships.
- →Cross-border divorces add layers of complexity. Know which jurisdiction applies to your assets.
- →Financial transparency isn't optional — it's a legal obligation during divorce proceedings.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.