Bankrupt Becker searching for missing trophies

LONDON: Bankrupt former tennis star Boris Becker appealed for help in tracking down five missing Grand Slam trophies which he needs to sell to help pay off his debts.

The German shook up the tennis world at Wimbledon in 1985 when, as an unseeded player, he became the then youngest-ever male Grand Slam champion at the age of 17, defending the trophy the following year.

Becker, 50, went on to win six Grand Slam trophies in a glittering career and reached world No. 1, amassing more than US$25mil (RM97.4mil) in prize money.

But the German, who coached former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to multiple Grand Slam titles, was declared bankrupt by a court in London last year.

His London-based bankruptcy trustees said in a statement issued on Wednesday that Becker had helped collect some of the trophies and other memorabilia that he amassed during his career.

But the trustees added: “A number of the trophies of Mr Becker’s career are unaccounted for as Mr Becker is unable to recollect where they are located.”

The statement said the All England Tennis Club, which hosts Wimbledon, the German Tennis Federation, the US Tennis Association, Tennis Australia and the International Tennis Hall of Fame, do not appear to have the missing trophies.

“Mr Becker and his bankruptcy trustees are therefore issuing a joint appeal to the public for any information that may assist with locating Mr Becker’s missing trophies, which include the trophies for his victories at the Australian Open (1991 and 1996) and Wimbledon (1985, 1986, 1989; The President’s Challenge Cup 1985 and 1989; The Renshaw Cup 1989).” — AFP