"I was there for hours before I could tell my family, only by phone": When Boris Becker detailed 'humiliating' ordeal in the US due to criminal record

Boris Becker once opened up about a harrowing experience he had upon arriving in the United States. The German revealed how his criminal record led to a distressing encounter while he was traveling with his wife and children.

During his illustrious tennis career, Becker won six Grand Slam titles and earned over $25 million in prize money alone before hanging up his racket in 1999. However, the former World No. 1 didn't get the chance to enjoy retired life for long, as he faced tax evasion charges in 2002.

The German was indicted after falsely claiming Monaco as his primary residence between 1991 and 1993, despite spending the majority of his time in Munich. Following a lengthy publicized trial, he paid €3 million in back taxes and was ordered to pay a hefty fine, but the negative consequences extended far beyond that.

In a 2005 article for The Guardian, Boris Becker recalled flying to the United States with his family a few months after his legal battle when he was stopped by an immigrations officer. The six-time Grand Slam champion admitted to being taken aback when he was accused of entering the country "illegally," since he was unaware that he needed a visa due to his criminal record.

"A couple of months later, I was flying out to the United States to spend Christmas with my children. It was just over a year after 9/11. An immigration officer asked to me to wait behind while the other passengers made their way through customs," Boris Becker said.

"He then told me that I had tried to enter the States illegally, because I didn't have a visa. It never occurred to me that I needed one, but they said it was obligatory because I now had a criminal record. A criminal record! I couldn't believe it," he added.

The former World No. 1 confessed that the ordeal was deeply "humiliating," as his wife and children were forced to wait while he was detained with a federal guard and awaited being sent back to Germany on the first flight out. Despite the difficult incident, Boris Becker was relieved that he never encountered similar issues when entering the United States since then.

"My wife and children were waiting for me in the arrivals hall while I had to sit around with a federal guard waiting for the first flight on which they could send me back to Europe. I was there for hours before I could tell my family what was happening, and then only by phone. It was humiliating," he said.

"Fortunately, I have never had any further trouble returning to the States. If anything, they go out of their way to help me," he added.

Boris Becker on his tax evasion indictment: "My first thought was of my children, how it would affect them and my relationship with them"

Boris Becker - Source: Getty

In the same piece, Boris Becker recalled the devastating moment when he learned that he had been indicted for tax evasion and could face a nearly four-year prison sentence. The German admitted that his immediate concern was how the situation would impact his children and his relationship with them.

"When, in 2002, my lawyer told me that I had been indicted, I was stunned. It got worse when the state attorney said that, if I was convicted, he would be asking for a prison sentence of up to three-and-a-half years. My first thought was of my children, how it would affect them and my relationship with them," Boris Becker wrote.

Becker also opened up about turning to God for help and reconnecting to his Christian roots during the trial. He expressed relief that he ultimately evaded jail time, receiving a two-year suspended prison sentence, a €300,000 fine, and an additional €200,000 in charitable donations.

"When I got home from court one night, I began to pray to God for help. I was raised a Catholic and was once an altar boy; praying wasn't something new to me. On the other hand, I could have been a better Christian in the intervening years. Whether it was divine intervention I don't know, but I only received a fine," he added.

Although Boris Becker avoided prison at that time, he was not so fortunate in 2022. The former World No. 1 spent eight months behind bars in the UK after being found guilty of financial crimes related to his bankruptcy, following which he was deported to Germany.