Boris Becker will not look after Holger Rune at the Australian Open in Melbourne. But how voluntary is this constellation? Did the previously convicted ex-prisoner Becker even have a choice? Hardly likely…
by Daniel Müksch
last edited: January 13, 2024, 2:40 p.m
Boris Becker’s justification for not looking after Holger Rune on site in Melbourne sounded – let’s say: rather intentional – right from the start. Sponsorship appointments, TV commitments and anyway: You can’t travel around the world with a tennis professional all year round. This is roughly what Boris Becker’s explanation for his absence Down Under sounds like. Apart from the fact that many other trainers are very capable of directly looking after their protégés all year round, Boris differs from most other trainers in another crucial factor: the other trainers were not in prison and were sentenced to several years sentenced to prison.
Boris follows in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic
With this legal baggage it is actually impossible to enter Australia – as our editorial team had a lawyer confirm. If a prison sentence is longer than 12 months – regardless of whether it has been served or not – the immigration authorities in Australia will refuse entry. The final decision is always made by the immigration officer at the airport, but they are often even stricter than the officers in advance.
Boris Becker would have threatened the fate of his ex-protégé Novak Djokovic, who had already arrived at the airport in Australia in 2022 but was then not allowed into the country. The rest of this judicial hiccup is well known. Neither Boris Becker nor the rest of Holger Rune’s team had any desire for this scenario.
Becker is only allowed to go to one Grand Slam tournament
With the doors closed to him in Australia, Becker is now unable to look after his player on site at three out of four Grand Slam tournaments. Under no circumstances is he allowed to go to England – and therefore to Wimbledon. He was finally convicted there and was only deported if he promised not to enter the country again for the duration of his prison sentence. Becker was not allowed to enter the USA for the US Open in New York in 2023 because of his prison sentence. This leaves only the French Open as a Grand Slam, where he can accompany Rune.
Not a good rate for a coach who would like to become a super coach again.
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2024-01-13 11:33:01
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