German tennis legend Boris Becker freed from prison in UK early, deported home

Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London in April. He has been freed from prison after serving eight months of his sentence for crimes under the Insolvency Act and has returned to Germany. Photo / AP

German tennis legend Boris Becker has returned to Germany after serving eight months in prison in Britain, his lawyer says.

The 55-year-old German, who has lived in Britain since 2012, was released on Thursday morning (late last night NZ time) and travelled back to Germany shortly thereafter.

Becker “has thus served his sentence and is not subject to any penal restrictions in Germany,” his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, said in a statement.

He did not give additional details about Becker’s location in Germany.

The three-time Wimbledon champion was sentenced to 30 months in prison in April for hiding £2.5 million pounds (NZ$4.8m) of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts after he was declared bankrupt.

He would normally have had to serve half of his sentence before being eligible for release, but was released early under a fast-track deportation programme for foreign nationals.

He had been convicted by London’s Southwark Crown Court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate.

Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title.

The former world number one was declared bankrupt in June 2017. - AP