I'm not broke, insists Boris Becker (despite his bankruptcy): Tennis star claims it is 'crazy' to think he can't pay his way
- Despite earning £100m throughout his career the German star is £54m in debt
- But Mr Becker, 49, insists he has enough international deals to pay his way
- The former champion was declared bankrupt by a court in London back in June
He is rumoured to have amassed debts of about £54million.
But Boris Becker has announced that it is 'crazy' to think that he is broke.
Despite
reportedly earning in the region of £100million throughout his career,
the former world number one was declared bankrupt in June over a
£3.3million debt.
However the three-time Wimbledon champion has insisted that he could still pay his way.
Speaking in an interview with Swiss newspaper, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Mr Becker said: 'It's crazy to think I'm broke'.
He is rumoured to have amassed
debts of about £54million. But Boris Becker (pictured) has announced
that it is 'crazy' to think that he is broke
'I
have enough national and international deals to earn an income that
will allow me to pay my staff on time and carry on my life as normal.
'I'm going to Zurich this evening, I'm going to check into a hotel and pay my own bill.
'If I was insolvent, I couldn't do that. If I take a taxi, I'll pay for it. And believe me, I haven't stolen a thing.'
'It's true that I have been in bankruptcy since June 21, but it's wrong that I am broke,' he claimed.
The
49-year-old is still one of the most famous names in the sport and
features heavily as a pundit during the BBC's two weeks of coverage of
Wimbledon.
After Mr Becker was declared
bankrupt in a London court earlier this year, it quickly became clear
that the tennis star was being chased for tens of millions more.
But during the interview Mr Becker was keen to defend his worth.
The former Wimbledon champion was declared bankrupt by a London court in June over a £3.3million debt
The
six-time Grand Slam winner said: 'My name, my brand are more current
than they have been for 20 years. If you're looking for publicity, you
hire Boris Becker. Attention guaranteed.
'I have many a lot of advertising contracts on my desk because companies have noticed: the name Boris Becker is hot.
You can find a lot of good advertising slogans from the last four months with a dash of humor.
Elizabeth
Taylor once said: 'No news is bad news'. I can't win Wimbledon every
year, but my business is my brand and it's red hot right now.'
The German tennis player (pictured), and coach, 49, won Wimbledon three times in his heyday
Mr Becker claims that reason he is yet to pay his debt to a private banking group was due to a dispute over interest.
'The bank is demanding 25 per cent. I say it's between 3 and 5 per cent.
Unfortunately, the bank has been refusing to meet me and my lawyers for more than a year to settle the difference,' he claimed.
'Instead,
they went to an English court, which ordered the bankruptcy. But I'm
not broke. I would rather settle the matter today than tomorrow.'
Last
month Becker was pictured picking up a parking ticket after parking his
new black Mercedes in a residents bay in central London, risking a £160
fine.
