Boris Becker denies giving officials the ‘runaround’ over missing trophies

Six-time Grand Slam tennis champion Boris Becker has denied giving bankruptcy officials the “runaround” over missing trophies.

Southwark Crown Court heard how the tennis star, 54, is accused of failing to hand over a number of awards after he was declared bankrupt in June 2017.

During proceedings on Monday, Becker was asked by prosecutor Rebecca Chalkey if he had given the trustee of bankruptcy “the runaround” in an attempt to conceal the prizes.

She said: “You reportedly claimed that you didn’t know where the missing trophies were. That’s simply not true Mr Becker is it?”

“You gave him the runaround,” she added.

But the former player, who has also worked as a BBC commentator and a brand ambassador for firms including Puma, said “that’s not correct”.

Becker, who won 49 singles titles in 77 finals over 16 years, denies 24 charges under the Insolvency Act.

Some of his trophies were auctioned off for £700,000 to pay his debts and he has made various appeals to try to locate them, the court heard.

Major tennis associations, halls of fame and museums are among the places that have been contacted, but Becker said he is “not in a better position today” to say where they are.

The prizes include two of his three Wimbledon men’s singles trophies, his 1992 Olympic gold medal, Australian Open trophies from 1991 and 1996, the President’s Cup from 1985 and 1989, his 1989 Davis Cup trophy and a Davis Cup gold coin which he won in 1988.

Becker is also accused of hiding 1.13 million euro (about £950,000) from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany.

The money is said to have been paid into his Boris Becker Private Office Ltd business account, which he used as a “piggy bank” to pay personal expenses, such as his