The setting: Portofino on the Mediterranean coast, Italy’s richest municipality. Here, former tennis star Boris Becker marries Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro, who stood by him even during his imprisonment.
Portofino – Three Wimbledon victories, now also a third marriage: tennis legend Boris Becker is remarried. The 56-year-old and his partner Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro exchanged vows on Saturday. This was confirmed by Becker’s lawyer Christian-Oliver Moser to the German Press Agency.
Wedding photos published by “Vogue” show the couple, among other moments, during their wedding kiss and while cutting the white wedding cake – the bride in an off-the-shoulder white dress and veil, and the groom in black trousers and a cream-colored jacket over a white shirt, wearing a bow tie.
According to reports, the ceremony and celebration took place with only 85 guests in the coastal town of Portofino on the Italian Riviera. The couple leads “an absolutely private relationship” and shares their “togetherness only with very close individuals,” Monteiro told “Vogue” in an interview conducted on Thursday. “The first person who knew about our engagement was Boris’ mother and his sister, shortly before Christmas in December. After that, we told my family when we flew to São Tomé to visit my father.” The couple lives in Milan.
“We have gone through so many things together”
With risk analyst Monteiro, who hails from the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, the former world number one in tennis has been together for several years. “I believe we have gone through so many things together that I have come to understand what it means to have someone in your life with whom you want to share your life. For me, marriage means committing to each other, caring for each other, trusting each other, and sticking together,” said the 34-year-old to “Vogue.”
Monteiro also stood by Becker during a trial in London and the subsequent prison sentence. The former tennis star concealed assets worth millions when he went to the insolvency administrator due to financial troubles. Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and spent several months in a London jail. Since April, he has also been discharged from insolvency.
Wedding in Italy’s richest municipality
The village of Portofino, with fewer than 400 permanent residents, is the richest municipality in Italy. With its picturesque harbor, it belongs to the preferred vacation spots of the international jet set. Hollywood couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton also vacationed there. Many films, including the U.S. soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” and even an episode of the crime classic “Derrick,” were also shot in Positano. The late Italian media entrepreneur and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi had a large villa here.
The wedding reportedly took place in a former 14th-century monastery, the Abbazia della Cervara. The estate, which also has some rooms for overnight stays, is now frequently used for celebrity weddings and other exclusive events.
Among those celebrating with the couple were Becker’s two sons from his first marriage, Elias and Noah Becker, as seen in the photos published by “Vogue.” The former tennis star has four children from different relationships. He was first married to Barbara Becker, later to Lilly Becker.
Legendary tennis career
Becker himself initially made no comment on the wedding. Since his victory at the 1985 British Championships at Wimbledon – as a “17-year-old from Leimen” – Becker has been one of Germany’s most prominent athletes. On the seemingly sacred turf, which he also called his “living room,” he followed up with two more victories. Overall, he won nearly 50 tournaments during his career, including six Grand Slam titles.
However, Becker also experienced what was probably his greatest defeat in London: In April 2022, he was sentenced to prison. However, due to a special provision for foreign prisoners, he was released after only eight months. Nevertheless, he is currently not allowed to return to the UK. However, according to British media reports, the travel ban will expire next month.