Boris Becker: His first Christmas without mother Elvira

At Christmas, memories of past family days are usually particularly intense. Boris Becker (57) may have been thinking primarily about his beloved mother Elvira this Christmas. She died on November 21st of this year in Leimen. In his most recent ones, Becker appears primarily in the circle of his closest family. He also sends signs of confidence.

The past year 2024 was a complete ups and down of emotions for Boris Becker. In May he was able to temporarily put an end to his personal bankruptcy. A London court overturned his 2017 bankruptcy declaration. On September 14th he married his long-time partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro (34) in Portofino. His personal happiness also seemed to return to him. But even then, his mother Elvira missed the wedding for health reasons. On November 21st, one day before his 57th birthday, Becker had to come to terms with her death. His painful reaction still goes through his bones: “My dear mother has left us. I owe you everything I have achieved in life.”

It must not have been easy for Becker to celebrate Christmas with dignity just one month after his mother’s death. For him, she was “the one and only,” as he wrote in a letter in May. Last year he visited his mother shortly before Christmas. His showed a happy Boris Becker with his mother in his arms. Becker therefore seems to have consciously brought his sister Sabine, who is four years older, to his side on Christmas Eve 2024. Becker’s Christmas photo was taken in his adopted home of Milan. It shows him with his wife Lilian, Sabine and their two children with champagne glasses and in front of a lavishly decorated Christmas tree. “Buon natale e tanti auguri” – Merry Christmas and all the best – it says next to the heartfelt family picture from the couch.

Boris Becker remained a restless person all his life. He always faced his numerous setbacks in life by looking forward and being active. So get off the couch and onto the tennis court. In a short one from December 27th, Becker, his wife, his sister and their almost grown children can be seen playing a happy family doubles match in a tennis hall. The five swing the bats powerfully and give some relief from the worries of the past year. Lilian’s final comment on the joint sporting end of the year: “Welcome to the tennis family!”

Becker and his wife Lilian spent the New Year near the equator. Lilian’s family roots lie in the small island state of Sao Tome and Principe off the west coast of Africa. Lilian’s father Victor was born there. And together with Lilian and his in-laws, Becker celebrated the New Year in a tropical atmosphere. As if liberated, Becker dances into the New Year barefoot on the beach. Becker, who has had an artificial hip joint since 2010, appears anything but stiff. He writes that he wants to start the new year “with positive vibes.” His fans hope that he can process the rollercoaster year of 2024 and the grief for his mother in this way and at some point leave it behind him.