Boris Becker has spoken out about his harrowing experience in prison where his tennis stardom meant nothing and he was just "a number".
The three-time Wimbledon winner was sentenced in April to two-and-a-half-years in jail, after being found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act.
Following his release from prison, Becker has now broken his silence talking about his experience behind bars. The 55-year-old has sat down with German television station Sat TV after being paid a reported £435,000 for the exclusive interview which will be aired later tonight.
"You are nobody in prison," said Becker in the interview with Sat TV, as reported by the Daily Mail. "You are a number mine was A2923EV. I was a number. And they don't give a f*** who you are."
Becker was jailed for concealing £2.5million worth of assets after being declared bankrupt in 2017.
This week, he was freed to return to Germany, meaning he'll spend Christmas with mother Elvira, 87.
The former world No.1 is set to speak "openly and honestly" in conversation with German-American presenter Steven Gatjen in the television interview.
The Daily Mail claim that the television station provided him with a private jet to fly from Biggin Hill airfield in Kent to Germany after his prison release.
The German tennis star says he he 'feared' having to share a cell with 'rapists and murderers' after being initially sent to Category B HMP Wandsworth following his prison sentence. He was then moved to the Category C HMP Huntercombe prison in Oxfordshire for the remainder of prison time.
"I think I rediscovered the person I used to be," the tennis star added. "I learned a hard lesson. A very expensive one. A very painful one. But the whole thing has something important and good for me learned. And some things happen for a good reason."
Becker has lived in the UK since 2012 but qualified for automatic deportation due to being a foreign national who does not have British citizenship. The 'fast track' scheme sends criminals back to their native country before their release date easing pressure on Britain’s prison service.
The Mail report also claimed that Becker was so desperate to get out of prison that he gave away his clothes, shoes and books to inmates, only taking with him family photos. Under the terms of his release, Becker will not be allowed back into the UK for a decade, ending hopes of returning to his Wimbledon punditry role with the BBC.
Talking about the day of his release the three-time Wimbledon champion added: "I sat on the edge of my bed from six in the morning and hoped that the cell door would open.
"They came at half past seven, unlocked themselves and asked: 'Are you ready?' I said, 'Let's go!' I had already packed everything."
