Would the tennis generation around Boris Becker stand no chance against Novak Djokovic and co. At least that’s what Australian Nick Kyrgios says. Becker finds his statements disrespectful – and says so again
Three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker has added to his dispute with Australian tennis pro Nick Kyrgios. “You have to have respect for the past and just say thank you out loud that there were these old pros, because without them the tennis circus would no longer exist,” said the 56-year-old on the Eurosport podcast “Das Gelbe vom Ball”, listing tennis icons such as Rod Laver, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and himself: “All these players make it possible for Kyrgios not to play tennis this year and still be able to make a living from his sport.”
Kyrgios had previously commented on comparisons between stars from earlier times around Becker and the current generation. “The game was so slow back then,” the 2022 Wimbledon finalist told The Athletic: “I’ve watched Boris Becker and I’m not saying they weren’t good in their day, but to say they would be as good now is absurd.” It’s a completely different sport.
Social media spat between Becker and Kyrgios
Becker then had a battle of words with Kyrgios on the X platform (formerly Twitter). “Nick has been making a lot of noise about tennis lately,” Becker wrote: “Why is he talking about a sport he obviously hates?” The 28-year-old Kyrgios countered: you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the Serbian record Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic would have dispatched Becker in his prime. “We live in a democracy. Everyone can think what they want,” Becker said in the podcast.
Kyrgios is regarded as an eccentric and highly gifted professional. However, he has only played one match this year due to injury. He has canceled his participation in the Australian Open in January 2024.
