Boris Becker will be absent from the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage this summer despite securing a first appearance as a tennis pundit since the early end of his prison sentence for bankruptcy offences.
It was confirmed on Tuesday that the former world tennis No 1 will go back to his old slot on the German-language Eurosport channels during the Australian Open alongside Matthias Stach, a well-known German commentator. He is also set to make occasional appearances on the English-language feed to a British audience.
Becker, 55, is trying to rebuild his broadcasting career after he was convicted in April of concealing assets worth more than £2 million from his creditors. He served a little over seven months of his 30-month prison sentence — first at Wandsworth in London and then at Huntercombe in Oxfordshire — but was deported to Germany shortly before Christmas under an early release scheme for foreign nationals.
This comeback to television will not include work for the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage as a clause of his release prohibits him from setting foot in Britain for up to ten years. It is understood that BBC chiefs have no interest in setting up a remote video link.
However, Eurosport, which has its headquarters in Munich, faces no such restrictions and has spent months attempting to bring Becker back on to its roster. His post-match analyses with Stach, 60, are well regarded in Germany and their joint coverage of the 2017 US Open was nominated for a national television award.
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After his retirement as a player in 1999, Becker moved into punditry and started working for the BBC in 2002. He was part of the commentary team for Andy Murray’s first Wimbledon triumph in 2013 and was estimated to receive up to £100,000 a year for his involvement.
Becker did not appear on the BBC last year because of his prison sentence. In June Eurosport denied reports in the Swiss press that it was planning to pay Becker to commentate on the French Open from his cell.
On Tuesday morning Warner Bros Discovery, which owns Eurosport, confirmed that he would cover the Australian Open from January 16 to 29. It said he and Stach would co-present a twice-daily show called Matchball Becker, airing first at 8.45am German time and then at the end of the day’s play.
He will also provide live commentary for the German broadcast on the bigger matches, including those involving Alexander Zverev, the German tennis No 1. He will remain in Munich rather than travelling to Melbourne for the tournament. His pay has not been disclosed.
Becker was named alongside other pundits such as the former world No 1 Justine Henin as “not only key components key components of Eurosport’s localised coverage, but each will also contribute their views and analysis to an international audience at key moments through live coverage of the tournament”.
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Becker has not yet disclosed his longer-term plans, aside from a suggestion that he would ultimately leave Germany, possibly for Miami or Dubai.
He received a reported sum of about £450,000 for his sole interview since leaving prison, aired by Sat.1, a private broadcaster, in mid-December. While his reputation has suffered in his native country, he retains a solid following and a high media profile.
