Tennis icon Boris Becker has announced the arrival of his fifth child, a daughter named Zoë Vittoria Becker, in a heartwarming birthday celebration that marks another chapter in his extraordinary life story.
The former world number one shared the joyful news on Saturday, which coincided with his 58th birthday, just under three years after his release from a notorious British prison.
From Prison Cell to Family Joy
Becker's life has undergone a dramatic transformation since his incarceration at Wandsworth Prison, where he served time for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after being declared bankrupt.
The German tennis great described his initial prison experience as "the loneliest moment I've ever had in life" following his conviction. In his autobiography released this year, Becker provided chilling details about daily life behind bars, including makeshift alcohol production, widespread drug availability, and the discomfort of showering in flip-flops for hygiene reasons.
After his deportation to Germany, Becker quickly rebuilt his life, immediately returning to his role as a tennis commentator and marrying his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro.
A Complex Personal History
The new addition to Becker's family represents the latest development in a personal life that has frequently made headlines since his retirement from professional tennis.
Becker's financial troubles saw the disappearance of much of his career earnings, attributed to tax problems, maintaining a lavish lifestyle, questionable investments, and a multimillion-dollar divorce settlement with his first wife Barbara in 2001.
His romantic history includes fathering a child with Russian model Angela Ermakova in 1999 following a brief encounter at London's Nobu restaurant while his first wife was pregnant with their second child. Becker also has a son from his second marriage to Lilly Kerssenberg, though their relationship status became complicated when Lilly claimed in 2022 they were "very much still married" despite reports of their separation years earlier.
Professional Resilience and Comeback
Beyond his personal life, Becker has maintained significant professional influence in the tennis world. His coaching partnership with Novak Djokovic from 2013-16 proved particularly successful, guiding the Serbian champion to six grand slam triumphs and numerous other titles.
Becker's attempted diplomatic immunity claim in 2018, where he asserted appointment as sports envoy to the European Union for Central African Republic, was later disputed by the country's foreign minister who called the passport a "clumsy fake" and launched an investigation.
The birth of Zoë Vittoria Becker represents a positive milestone for the tennis legend, whose life has swung between extraordinary professional success and very public personal challenges over recent decades.
