Jailed Boris Becker forced to decline invite to Wimbledon’s Royal Box
TENNIS legend Boris Becker was invited to Wimbledon’s Royal Box but had to turn it down because he is in jail.
All England Club chiefs asked him a few months ago to be a special guest at Centre Court’s centenary celebrations tomorrow.
But the fallen idol, 54 — who became Wimbledon’s youngest champion when he won aged 17 in 1985 — was convicted of fraud in April and is currently in HMP Huntercombe, Oxon.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Invitations were sent out back in March so it was before Becker was jailed.
“All past champions have been asked to come back to play a focal point in the day which will celebrate some of the legendary matches.
“Luckily Boris saw the funny side of it now that he has to watch the action from his cell and he politely declined.”
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German Becker, who won the Wimbledon men’s singles title three times, was jailed for 2½ years for fraudulently concealing £2.5million after being declared bankrupt.
His girlfriend Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro and son Noah have been seen at Wimbledon this week as guests of last year’s champion Novak Djokovic, 35.
Djokovic — who was coached by Becker from 2013 to 2016 — said: “I haven’t been communicating directly to him, but I’ve been communicating to him through his family.
“I was really glad to have hosted his girlfriend and his son to my first round, and now my second round match.
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“I’ve just been trying to give support to people around him, his family members, because I consider Boris a family member, someone I greatly care about.
“It breaks my heart to see what’s happening to him. He knows, and they know, they can count on me for whatever support or help I can provide.”
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Noah, 28, and brother Elias, 22, visited Becker in prison on Thursday.
The All England Club declined to comment on Becker’s invite to this year’s Championships.