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Boris Becker was just 17 years old when he was first crowned Wimbledon champion in 1985. Just under four decades later and the tennis icon was banned from entering the United Kingdom, having spent time behind bars.

Becker was jailed in October 2022, having been investigated for several financial irregularities. A sentence of two and a half years in prison was given to the three-time Wimbledon winner, who was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.

It comes after Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017, having owed creditors almost £50m over an unpaid loan. Despite the two-and-a-half-year sentence, Becker only served eight months before being deported to Germany in December 2022.

Speaking to The Times, Becker reminisced on his time in prison, stating: "Of course, it's a huge embarrassment and of course you're shameful, but you cannot feel sorry for yourself. If you feel like a victim you're never going to make it out. I never felt like a victim and very early on I was trying to take responsibility for my actions, good and bad. I don't blame anybody."

However, under the terms of his conviction and deportation, the tennis star was unable to apply for re-entry to the UK until October 2024. As such, it prevented him from attending the All England Club, where he made a name for himself, firstly as a player and then as a pundit for the BBC's Wimbledon coverage.

Even though the October 2024 date came and went, the BBC opted to snub Becker for their 2025 coverage. That's despite landing a gig with rival broadcaster TNT Sports for the 2025 French Open, meaning he's still waiting to return to the tournament he loves the most.

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He told The Telegraph in 2024: "I miss Wimbledon of course. It's my favourite tournament, the greatest one. I'm working on all fronts to come back next year, 2025. That's an option. But let's see who I'm working for there, because I can't be in the country yet.

"I'm the biggest fan of Wimbledon. I know the ins and outs as a player, as a coach, as a commentator. I don't think anyone alive knows Wimbledon as well as I do. Ultimately you want to walk through the gates of SW19 and just smell the flowers again."