Former
Serena Williams’ coach
Rennae Stubbs mentioned
Boris Becker’s time in jail
during a conversation with former German player
Andrea Petkovic. Both tennis
experts were discussing tennis on the American’s podcast. The 6-time Grand Slam
champion, Boris Becker, was accused of tax evasion in 2002 and received a
two-year suspended sentence after being fined $500,000.
Following
his bankruptcy in 2017, declared by a British court, Becker was sentenced to
two and a half years in prison in 2022 for concealing €3 million worth of
assets and loans during the bankruptcy process. Becker spent eight months in
jail and was released in December of the same year.
While
Stubbs and Petkovic chatted on the podcast, the German mentioned she had
recently spoken to Becker.
"You
will be happy I talked to Boris Becker lately, and he said to me...,"
began Petkovic.
"Did
you ask him how the clinker was?" Stubbs interrupted.
"How
the what was?" Petkovic asked back, puzzled.
"How
the clinker was?" Stubbs clarified.
"What's
a clinker?" Petkovic queried.
"The
jail," Stubbs explained.
After the
humorous exchange, former World No. 9 Petkovic clarified that she had discussed
tennis with Becker, focusing on current World No. 1
Jannik Sinner. "I
asked him about tennis because he has a great tennis mind, and I really like
talking to him about tennis," she said.
“He said he
thinks that among the reasons Jannik is so great and ahead of the rest is that
he has the perfect team by his side. He plays fewer tournaments, and when he
feels tired or injured, he pulls out. He keeps his energy. And he has this
black cloud above his head," Petkovic added.