Tennis champion Boris Becker has been "declared bankrupt," according to the London TELEGRAPH. Lawyers for the three-time Wimbledon winner pleaded with a bankruptcy court registrar in London on Wednesday for "a last chance" to pay a long-standing debt. But Registrar Christine Derrett said it was "with regret" that she had concluded there was a lack of credible evidence that his "substantial" debt would be paid soon and she refused to adjourn the case for a further 28 days. Of Becker, she said, "One has the impression of a man with his head in the sand." The bankruptcy application was made by private bank Arbuthnot Latham & Co. "in connection with a judgment debt" owed to it by Becker dating as far back as '15. Becker's lawyers argued there was "sufficient evidence to show that the tennis ace would be able to pay the debt soon through a refinancing arrangement," involving remortgaging a property in Mallorca, which was expected to raise €6M ($6.7M). The advocate said, "I don't want to play around in court. It is clearly in the interests (of Arbuthnot Latham) for there to be refinancing." Becker's advocate, John Briggs, told the registrar that someone in Becker's position would not be prone to benefit from bankruptcy and it was likely to have an adverse effect on his "image." The judge said, "He should have thought about that a long time ago" (TELEGRAPH, 6/21).