Kyrgios, contempt, waddle
Boris Becker’s remarkable quarrel with the tennis bully
December 20, 2023, 5:19 p.m
Two people who really enjoy hearing each other talk: Boris Becker and Nick Kyrgios have been having a heated argument on social media for days. The tennis icon rages because the enfant terrible of the scene provokes. In the end it says: Advantage Becker.
The poison arrows flew back and forth between the icon and the bad boy – it was about recognition, respect and also self-reflection. Boris Becker and Nick Kyrgios have had a remarkable exchange of blows on social networks for almost a week. In the end, even the Australian, who had previously personally attacked Becker, had enough.
“Obviously a Slam finalist has no credibility. Goodnight, done with this conversation,” wrote the 28-year-old from Canberra, who started the social media duel with provocative statements. Becker’s famous fighting spirit was quickly awakened.
What happened? It all started with a controversial interview from Kyrgios, in which he revealed an idiosyncratic view of his sport’s former heroes. “The game was slow back then,” Kyrgios told “The Athletic,” adding that he also saw Becker’s matches. “And I’m not saying that they weren’t good in their time. But to say that they would be just as good today is absurd,” said Kyrgios: “That’s a completely different game.”
Becker: “Just say thank you out loud”
According to Kyrgios, Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic would also easily clear players like 14-time major winner Pete Sampras. “Djokovic would destroy him, eat him alive,” said the 2022 Wimbledon finalist. Statements that Becker didn’t want to leave alone.
He first replied with an X and then also used the Eurosport podcast “Das Gelbe vom Ball” for another reply. “We live in a democracy. Everyone can think what they want,” said Becker. But the six-time Grand Slam winner wanted to set some things straight. Among other things, he referred to developments in rackets, shoes, and new findings in terms of training theory or nutrition that were not available to the generation of that time.
Above all, Becker was concerned with respect. “There has never been so much prize money, never so much publicity, as is the case today,” said the 56-year-old, who is back on the tour as Holger Rune’s coach. The legends made it possible for Kyrgios “not to play tennis at all this year and to still be able to make a living from tennis.”
It is important to have “respect for the past” and “just say thank you out loud,” Becker added. Kyrgios countered that he had millions of fans and created his own economic base. “I beat Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray,” wrote the Australian. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that Djokovic would have handled a Boris Becker in his prime.
“This is not an attack. These are just facts,” said Kyrgios and answered the question of credibility with reference to Becker’s prison sentence: As far as he knew, Becker was the one who hid assets. Nevertheless, the decisive points in the duel went to Becker.