Retired tennis star Boris Becker is claiming his role as a sports attache for the Central African Republic gives him diplomatic immunity from bankruptcy proceedings

LONDON (AP) — Retired German tennis star Boris Becker is claiming his unpaid role as a sports attache for Central African Republic gives him diplomatic immunity from bankruptcy proceedings in Britain. Lawyers for the former tennis star lodged a claim in the high court in London on Thursday asserting immunity against attempts to enforce bankruptcy proceedings against Becker, which his creditors have applied to extend, citing his role as the Central African Republic’s attache to the European Union on sporting, cultural and humanitarian affairs, which he started in April this year. Becker was declared bankrupt in June 2017 over an undisclosed amount of money owed to private bankers Arbuthnot Latham & Co, which a court ruled he was not able to pay. "A bunch of anonymous and unaccountable bankers and bureaucrats pushed me into a completely unnecessary declaration of bankruptcy, which has inflicted a whole heap of damage on me, both commercially and professionally, and on those close to me," he added, in a statement issued by his lawyers. “I have now asserted diplomatic immunity as I am in fact bound to do, in order to bring this farce to an end, so that I can start to rebuild my life.”

Mark Stephens, lawyer with Howard Kennedy and an expert in diplomatic immunity, said Becker’s creditors should raise the issue with the Central African Republic to ensure anyone with a legitimate case for the former tennis ace’s money could make it.
Boris Becker, who was once the highest ranked men's singles tennis player in the world, has claimed diplomatic immunity from a bankruptcy claim by private bankers Arbuthnot Latham, based on his role as a sports attaché to the European Union from the Central African Republic.