German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.

What happened?

Boris Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) he owed, but Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made.

Becker, 56, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding 2.5 million pounds ($3.1 million) in assets after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

Why it matters for Boris Becker

He had been convicted in a London court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate.

Becker was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over Grand Slam trophies and his Olympic gold medal to bankruptcy trustees.

What comes next?

He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, but was released early under a fast-track deportation program for foreign nationals.

Boris Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title, winning three Wimbledon singles titles.

He went on to become the world No. 1 player, winning two more titles at Wimbledon, two at the Australian Open and one at the U.S. Open.

Becker retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor and celebrity poker player.

And Becker blamed laziness and bad advice for his financial problems that led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) over an unpaid loan of more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the joint trustees did not oppose his effort to end the case but did not support it because he still owed about 42 million pounds ($52.5 million).

Becker’s lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had reached a settlement that includes a “substantial sum” the tennis great must pay, including the outstanding trophies.

So the case has been closed, with Boris Becker having done all he reasonably could to settle his debts.