Novak Djokovic is "heartbroken" for his former coach Boris Becker, who has been jailed for hiding assets and loans worth £2.5 million to avoid paying off his debts.
As reported by the BBC, the three-time Wimbledon champion has been jailed for two and a half years after being found guilty of "four charges under the Insolvency Act." Becker was found guilty of insolvency in 2017 after he was declared bankrupt while owing creditors £50 million. He was charged with "hiding millions of pounds of assets" but was acquitted on 20 different charges.
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In an interview ahead of his campaign at the Madrid Masters, Djokovic said he was "sad" at how things have unraveled for his "long-time friend."
"Just heartbroken, I mean, for him. He's a friend, long-time friend, a coach for three, four years, someone I consider close in my life and has contributed a lot to my success in my career," the Serb said.
"I was just heartbroken. I mean, don't know what to say more than that. I'm not going to get into details of the verdict, because I'm not in a position to do that, but as his friend, you know, I'm super sad for him. It's not much that you can say."
The World No. 1 said he hoped Becker would be able to get through this ordeal, but added that the German's life is "definitely changing."
"I mean, I just hope he will go through this period that he has to be in jail and that when he comes out he's, you know, being able to live his life as, I don't know if we'll use the word "normal," because the life is definitely changing, I mean, for anybody going to prison, especially for that long of a time," he said.
Novak Djokovic expressed hope that Becker would take care of his mental and physical health during this difficult period.
"So I don't know how things will turn out for him. I just pray for him. I hope things will be well in terms of his health, his mental health, because that's going to be the most challenging part," he added.
Novak Djokovic's success under Boris Becker
Novak Djokovic spent one of the most productive phases of his career under Boris Becker.
In a successful three-year spell under the German's tutelage, Djokovic won six Grand Slam singles titles. The partnership, which started in late 2013, saw the Serb become the first male player in the Open Era to hold all four Major titles.
In a blistering 2015 campaign, he was only denied a calendar-year Slam by Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros final. Djokovic continued his golden run the following year, winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
However, things began to go downhill in the second half of the season. Novak Djokovic lost early at Wimbledon and was beaten once again by Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final. After the Serb was dethroned as World No. 1 by Andy Murray at the ATP Finals, Djokovic split with Becker.
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