These are some of the memorabilia going up for sale at the auction of tennis champion Boris Becker's belongings. For a visual guide to these and other items, read to the end of this story.Photos from Wyles Hardy & Co.
Tennis fans can get more than just their fill of action at Wimbledon this week, they can also bid for some trophies and memorabilia owned by three-time champion Boris Becker.
London auction house Wyles Hardy and Co. is selling a collection of 82 items owned by Mr. Becker to help cover an estimated £50-million ($87-million) he owes creditors. The sale includes a full-size sterling-silver replica of the U.S. Open trophy, a scale replica of the Davis Cup winner’s trophy, two Wimbledon semi-final medals, a sterling-sliver plate Mr. Becker won for finishing runner-up at Wimbledon in 1995, several commemorative coins featuring Mr. Becker’s face and a Seiko Astron GPS solar limited-edition Novak Djokovic watch. There’s also an assortment of T-shirts, shoes, goblets, cups and lapel pins.
Mr. Becker, who won his first Wimbledon title in 1985 at the age of 17, has been battling a court-appointed trustee in London for nearly two years after being declared bankrupt in 2017.
Boris Becker kisses the Gentleman's trophy to celebrate his victory over Kevin Curren in the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1985.Steve Powell/Allsport/Getty Images
The trustee had planned to auction off a selection of Mr. Becker’s trophies, watches, clothing and racquets last year but the sale was put off after the German tennis great succeeded in blocking it by declaring diplomatic immunity. He claimed he’d been named a special attaché to the European Union by the Central African Republic, one of the world’s poorest countries. However, Mr. Becker later dropped the claim after doubts emerged about the legitimacy of his diplomatic passport.
The trustee is now going ahead an the online auction that launched this week and ends on July 11, right in the middle of Wimbledon. “Now that the auction has been resumed initial signs are showing that the level of excitement in this rare opportunity for tennis fans to acquire memorabilia of this kind is exceeding that of last year,” lawyers for the trustee said in a statement. Money raised from the sale will go to Mr. Becker’s creditors.
The collection is valued at around £200,000, well below what creditors are owed. But there don’t seem to be many more assets for sale. The auction “will be one of the final asset realizations in the bankruptcy,” the lawyers said.
Mr. Becker, 51, gained fame for his booming serve and six Grand Slam titles. He’s believed to have earned about £100-million during his 15-year playing career, but he was pushed into bankruptcy in 2017 by a British High Court judge who chastised him for having “his head in the sand” when it came to paying bills. He’s now a regular commentator for BBC during Wimbledon and charges around £20,000 as an after-dinner speaker. But several other business ventures have failed, including a Nigerian oil project, an organic food business and a real estate development in Dubai. Mr. Becker also briefly coached Mr. Djokovic, the defending Wimbledon champion who has won 15 Grand Slams. The two fell out after three years amid suggestions by Mr. Becker that Mr. Djokovic didn’t work hard enough.
Jelena Djokovic takes a selfie with her husband, Novak Djokovic, and Mr. Becker at an award ceremony in Monaco in February, 2019.Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Mr. Becker’s personal life has also led to hefty divorce payments. Last year he split from his second wife, Dutch model Lilly Kerssenberg, and the couple have been battling in a London divorce court for months over finances and child custody. They had been married for 10 years and have a nine-year-old son, Amadeus.
Mr. Becker’s first marriage, to Barbara Feltus, ended in 2001 after he had a tryst in a broom closet at a London restaurant with waitress Angela Ermakova, while Ms. Feltus was in the hospital about to give birth to their second son. Ms. Feltus got £10-million in the divorce, as well as the couple’s condo in Miami and custody of their two children. Mr. Becker also had to pay Ms. Ermakova, who became pregnant as a result of the brief encounter, about £3-million in child support.
Mr. Becker and Ms. Kerssenberg, 42, reached a custody agreement in May but it’s not clear if they’ve settled their finances. Mr. Becker was spotted at Wimbledon this week with his new girlfriend, 31-year-old British model Layla Powell.
What’s for sale: A visual guide
This reproduction of the All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World trophy was given to Mr. Becker after his 1985 and 1986 wins at Wimbledon.
Mr. Becker got this gold signet ring when he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003.
The silver Renshaw Cup was awarded to Mr. Becker in 1985.
This Bambi Award, a metal figurine of a fawn, was given to Mr. Becker in 1985 when he was declared Man of the Year.
Mr. Becker got this scale replica of the Davis Cup in 1988, when West Germany defeated Sweden in the final.
This medal is for the singles runner-up at the 1990 Lawn Tennis Championships, which he lost in the final to Stefan Edberg.
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Paul Waldie