Lilly Becker (50) was, is, and will probably forever remain somewhat connected to Boris Becker (58) - not least through the last name she kept even after the divorce, and of course especially through their son Amadeus (16). But the second wife of the German tennis hero has tried in recent years to consciously emancipate herself from her famous ex. In doing so, the model radiates a new serenity.
Sharlely Kerssenberg, as Lilly Becker is known by her birth name, experienced a severe loss already in childhood: Her parents died in a car accident, she initially grew up with her grandparents, and later moved with her sister to live with her aunt and uncle in Amsterdam. What remained from this childhood is a toughness that would shape her later life.
The Dutch native found her way into the spotlight through modeling. In September 2005, she met Boris Becker at a pizzeria in Miami. At that time, Lilly was already separated from her first husband, an American media entrepreneur she had married in 2003; Becker had also already been through one marriage (with Barbara).
Dream of Family Shattered in 2018
The relationship between Lilly and the athlete was turbulent. In 2008, the two even separated, and Boris Becker briefly got engaged to Sandy Meyer-Wölden (43). Nevertheless, they got back together, and in February 2009 the two announced their engagement on "Wetten, dass..?". The wedding in June of the same year in St. Moritz was one of the biggest celebrity events of the year. A year later, son Amadeus was born - and everything seemed perfect.
But in May 2018, the long-time couple announced their separation. Today, Lilly Becker, who has been in a relationship with sports manager Thorsten Weck since 2022, views the topic of marriage with some distance: "If I get married again, it will be a bit more intimate. And for myself", she revealed in spring to "Gala". "I'm older, it would become more personal." She rarely appears with her new partner at events - probably also a conscious departure from her very publicly conducted marriage.
The years after the separation were anything but quiet. Lilly Becker made headlines through legal disputes and public accusations, but also worked on a new life. While Boris Becker married for the third time in 2024 and had his fifth child with Lilian de Carvalho Monteiro in November 2025, she refined her own presence in the German public. In early 2025, she won the RTL show "Ich bin ein Star - Holt mich hier raus!". This was followed by further appearances on TV shows like "Das große Geo-Quiz", "Grill den Henssler Sommer-Special", and "Raabs Pokernacht".
She Closed Out Her Forties with a "Bang"
In addition, she turned her back on England in 2025 after 17 years and moved with her son from London to Düsseldorf. "I followed my gut feeling, it was the right time", she said to spot on news. Germany had always been kind to her. She had carefully thought through the move: "It's not just about me, I also have another person I'm responsible for." With her cover for the October issue of the German magazine, she also made a statement for her new phase of life. "I thought to myself: The heck with it, I look good, I worked hard throughout my entire forties and fought a lot and just wanted to close them out with a 'bang'. From now on, I just want to enjoy." There is now a new woman, and Lilly Becker emphasized: "I see myself as a self-confident, strong mother, woman, and entrepreneur."
