Boris Becker's son to press charges against politician who called him 'little half-negro'

Social media comments by Jens Maier provoke legal action by Noah Becker

Noah Becker, son of former German tennis player Boris Becker (AFP/Getty Images)

Boris Becker’s family is preparing legal action against a German politician over a tweet in which he referred to the former tennis star’s son as a “little half-negro”, it has been reported.

Noah Becker’s maternal grandfather is African and he had given in an interview where he described Berlin as a “white city” compared to London and Paris and claimed he had been the victim of racial abuse.

In response, Jens Maier, the parliamentary deputy of the right-wing party AfD, apparently took to social media to make an offensive comment about Mr Becker.

The tweet in question which has since been deleted said: “It seems the little half-negro simply got too little attention – that’s the only explanation for his behaviour.”

Mr Maier told the German newspaper Bild that one of his members of staff had written the tweet and he was not responsible for it, however.

The Becker family lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, confirmed that the “necessary steps” would be taken. He told Bild: “I have been retained to quickly take the necessary steps under criminal and civil law against MP Jens Maier on the basis of this clearly racist tweet.”

Sources from within Mr Maier’s right-wing, populist AfD party have said that he regrets the “embarrassment” of the tweet and he intends to apologise to Noah, Deutsche Welle reported.