Boris Becker has reportedly shed over a stone and is teaching his fellow inmates how to keep on top of their fitness as he makes the best of his time in jail.
The six-time Grand Slam champion, who famously won Wimbledon aged just 17, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in April this year, having been found found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act. The charges related to the tennis icon concealing £2.5m worth of assets after being declared bankrupt in 2017.
Having begun his sentence in HM Prison Wandsworth, a month later Becker was transferred to Huntercombe, a prison used to detain foreign criminals. And there, he has seemingly sought to get himself - and fellow inmates - back in shape.
German tabloid Bild quoted a source close to Becker, who revealed the former world No 1 had been training regularly in the prison fitness studio and had lost 8 kilograms, amounting to 1 stone 3lbs. His health-kick has been aided by the ban on alcohol for prisoners.
The newspaper also reports that Becker is also working as an assistant alongside the prison coach for fitness and psychology. The 54-year-old, who after playing went on to become a pundit and also coached Novak Djokovic, was once famed for his own sharpness and agility around a court.
According to the source, Becker is teaching about 45 fellow inmates how to stay fit, with nutritional and self-management advice incorporated into the sessions. What helps is the prison comes complete with a sports complex with a climbing wall, an astroturf pitch and a cardiovascular fitness room.
Becker is also instructing other prisoners in a "special type of yoga and meditation", according to the source: "As a sportsman, he knows only too well the highs and lows of victories and defeats. He is sharing his life experience with his fellow prisoners."
Indeed, Becker coached Djokovic from 2013 to 2016, during which period the Serb won six Grand Slam and 14 Masters 1000 titles. Before triumphing at Wimbledon this summer, he confessed to being "heartbroken" by Becker's jail term.
Mirror Sport contacted the Ministry of Justice, who declined to comment regarding Becker's work within the prison.
