"You are nobody in prison" - Boris Becker opens up about time in prison, says he's learnt 'a hard lesson'

German tennis great Boris Becker has opened up about his harrowing experience in prison, speaking for the first time since his release and deportation back to Germany. The six-time Grand Slam singles champion said that none of his fellow inmates or others in prison cared about his fame or stature and he was "a nobody."

Becker served eight months of his two-and-a-half-year sentence at HM Prison Wandsworth and HM Prison Huntercombe in the United Kingdom before his release was facilitated by a fast-track scheme through which foreign criminals in the UK are deported to their respective countries. In his first interview since being released, the 55-year-old spoke about his challenging time behind bars, where he was called only by a number and not by his name.

"You are nobody in prison. You are just a number," Becker told German TV station SAT.1, according to Express. "Mine was A2923EV. I wasn't called Boris. I was a number. And they don't give a fu*** who you are."

Back in April this year, Becker was convicted after he was charged with illegally failing to pay off his debts during bankruptcy. He was released on December 15th and immediately deported to Germany.

Further sharing details of his experience, Becker, who was reportedly paid £435,000 for the interview, said his time in prison was that of "painful" and "expensive" self-reflection, before suggesting that it was also a blessing in disguise.

"I think I rediscovered the person I used to be. 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 said further.

"Sat on the edge of my bed from six in the morning" - Boris Becker reveals anticipation and relief on day of his release

Germany's Boris Becker at the 2020 ATP Cup.

After being informed of his release, Boris Becker waited with bated breath for the day of release. He spoke about his last few hours in prison, saying he was eagerly waiting for hours for the door of his cell to open. The German said that he was ready by his bed more than an hour before the scheduled time of his release and felt a sense of relief when the door finally opened.

"I sat on the edge of my bed from six in the morning and hoped that the cell door would open," the three-time Wimbledon winner said.

"They came at half past seven, unlocked the door and asked: Are you ready? I said: ' Here we go!' I had already packed everything," Boris Becker added.

While Becker was released many months in advance of the prison term originally decided, he cannot return to Britain for a span of 10 years, which also means he cannot visit Wimbledon, his most memorable tournament and his former area of residence, for the next decade. The German tennis great was also reportedly flown down to Germany via a private jet provided by the media agency to whom he gave his interview upon release.