Former tennis world number one Boris Becker is confident that he will soon be able to put his private bankruptcy behind him. He wants to end this as soon as possible, Becker said on Wednesday at the OMR digital trade fair in Hamburg. "We are on the right track. And it's not just up to me, but also to the insolvency administrator, where we meet, what is still outstanding." But it is manageable and he hopes to be able to publish good news in this regard soon.

He has ways and opportunities to shape his life financially, Becker said, emphasizing: "I'm out of the woods." His partners had also stood by him during his months-long prison stay. "And they are now waiting for me to be able to go back to the Bütt. Whether it's the TV stations or the sponsors." From May 22, Becker wants to report on the French Open again as a TV expert for Eurosport.

"Happy Wife, Happy Life"

Former Davis Cup team boss Becker also spoke about a possible return to the German Tennis Federation (DTB) with OMR Managing Director Philipp Westermeyer at the end of the digital festival: "The association wants me to take up a role again. The question is: Do I want this? Can I do that?" said Becker. He also brought former Wimbledon champions Steffi Graf and Michael Stich into play. "If the three of us could play a role, then the chance of winning is simply higher than if I were to do it alone," Becker said.

The ex-tennis pro was released in the UK in mid-December after 231 days in prison. He had been sentenced to two and a half years in prison in London at the end of April 2022 for concealing millions of dollars in assets from his insolvency administrators. Becker must continue to assign part of his income to insolvency administrators. In addition, he is not allowed to re-enter his former adopted home of Great Britain for the time being.

This is probably one of the reasons why Becker changed his place of residence. He now lives in Italy with his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, as he clarified on Wednesday evening at the OMR digital trade fair. "There is a lot of speculation in the public. Where did he go? Does he sleep with friends? No, I moved to Italy," he said.

His partner was Italian, she wanted to live in her home country again. "My mother used to say the clever phrase 'Happy Wife, Happy Life' and I guess I've misunderstood that all these years," Becker said with a laugh. He now wants to do better.