First he goes bust ... now is Becker’s marriage on rocks?
BY his own admission, it’s been a ‘tough week’ for Boris Becker after being made bankrupt over debts of more than £3 million.
And matters could get even worse for the former tennis star, 49, after claims that his eight-year marriage to model Lilly Becker is on the rocks.
Friends have reportedly suggested that their relationship has been under strain and that she may be considering a divorce.
Yesterday, the three-time Wimbledon champion shrugged off claims that they were splitting as they were spotted leaving their London house in a Porsche to celebrate his wife’s 41st birthday.
He tweeted a photo of Mrs Becker wishing his ‘love’ a happy birthday – though he hinted at possible turbulence with the caption: ‘Through thick and thin ...’
Becker last night tweeted a further photo of himself and his wife in the sunshine. The snap, which was also posted on Instagram and received over 7,000 likes, was captioned ‘My special lady...’
Last week Becker, who amassed tens of millions after first winning Wimbledon at 17, was declared bankrupt over a £3.34million debt owed to a private bank.
On Saturday, he posted a photo of himself on Twitter with the caption: ‘It’s been a tough week but life goes on…’
The twice-married father-of-four wed his Dutch second wife in Switzerland in 2009 and they had a son the following year. They live in Wimbledon for part of the year but their main residence is said to be in Switzerland. Friends reportedly said the marriage had been ‘in trouble’ before Becker was made bankrupt and she had been spend- ing more time in The Netherlands. Yesterday however, the pair were seen driving from their Wimbledon house in a Porsche to celebrate Mrs Becker’s birthday at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. Becker drove the £80,000 red Cayenne GTS two days after he was spotted in an electric-blue Maserati. His spokesman told The Sun: ‘We don’t comment on our clients’ private lives.’
Approached by the newspaper on Saturday, Becker said: ‘It’s too early in the day for me, go away.’
If the couple were to split, it could mean yet more woes for Becker, made bankrupt last week despite being the fifth-highest on- court earner in tennis history. There had already been rumours in his native Germany that he was in trouble after actions over unpaid debts.
One included a bill of £2,235 from the clergyman who conducted his marriage to Mrs Becker in St Moritz eight years ago. His divorce from first wife Barbara is said to have cost £12.5million in cash, £2.4million in fees, and their marital home in Miami. He has also supported children Noah, 23, and Elias, 17. It followed a £2.4million payout after he fathered a daughter with Russian model Angela Ermakova. During a London court hearing last week, it emerged that Becker had taken out a loan of £ 3,090,000 from private bank Arbuthnot Latham two years ago.