Boris Becker had a heartfelt message for his “favourite tournament” as he will likely be compelled to observe Wimbledon from afar this yr. A 3-time champion at SW19, Becker is at present banned from re-entering the UK after he was deported following a stint in jail final yr.

Becker was famously sentenced to 30 months in jail final April after being discovered responsible of 4 prices below the Insolvency Act. The 55-year-old served simply eight months below a scheme that deports overseas nationals to alleviate pressures on British prisons.

He now faces a ban from returning to the nation, as stories instructed he could possibly be barred for so long as 10 years. The German tennis legend beforehand resided in Wimbledon and was a mainstay within the BBC’s protection of the event.

But dealing with years away from his self-confessed favorite event, Becker was heard sending a message to the All England Club throughout a current interview with the Guardian. “Say hello to Wimbledon for me,” the previous world No 1 whispered.

Becker additionally refused to make clear simply how lengthy he was banned from the UK regardless of the conflicting stories. But he made it clear that it might be powerful to be away from Wimbledon throughout this yr’s Championships.

“Wimbledon is my favourite tournament. I have won it a number of times. I’ve commentated on the final 20 times. I used to live in Wimbledon,” he defined. “So the club is very, very close to my heart and I’ll be watching it from afar.”

The six-time Grand Slam champion already has some expertise of watching the occasion from afar, as he was allowed to witness outdated cost Novak Djokovic raise the title from jail final yr. “I was very emotional when he won. It was a great statement and he’s a friend so I was happy to see him win,” the Serb’s former coach mentioned.

Despite his notorious chapter and stint behind bars, Becker additionally believes that he's nonetheless well-liked within the UK. “Well, I lived in the country for a long time and so I was able to show my human side: my personality, my character,” he famous.

“Apparently, we have a similar sense of humour, which is unusual for a German. You have a very dark sense of humour. So I get their jokes and they get my jokes. That’s not necessarily the case in Germany but it is in the UK. It’s a wonderful country. And London is just one of the most amazing cities in the world.”