Kyrgios: “Djokovic Would Destroy Becker & Sampras because their game is too slow.”

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Top 5 Servers All Time 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3qqo3affdB0gaMsi=izaTkHxHJ5-hUGYd

[@coffeedude2024]

I have eatched the ATP Masters final vetween Sampras and Becker many times and the speed and quality of the tennis is as good as anything that you see on tour today. Also bearing in mind the speed of the court service, the court speed both guys showed was ridiculous as well. Sampras was a panther on court with his court speed and athleticism. I also think if Becker and Sampras used todays nodern rackets, they would be serving 5 to 10 mph faster. And finally, you cant compare eras. 90's tennis is very different to today's tennis. But you can ve sure if the 90's legends were playing today, they would be every bit as good if not better than many of the players today.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@steveturner609]

Absolutely flawless analysis Sir, and I agree with you 100% on everything you have said there! I’ve often said that the 90’s players would compete quite comfortably with today’s legends ( I’m speaking of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Medvedev, Thiem, Sinner , Alcaraz,) and depending on the Surface types, would beat them too, and Nick Kyrios is just talking out of his backside, and making himself look rather ignorant and extremely foolish unfortunately! The likes of Sampras, Becker, Rafter, Edberg, were all superior Servers and players like Agassi and Courier would have traded happily with any of them!! All in all, the Champions of the 90’s were every bit the equivalent of today’s players, and perhaps even more than??

[@coffeedude2024]

@@steveturner609 I think the 90's legends would be better than many of the top, young players today for sure. They served better, were far better at the net and to me, they had the champions mindset. Very hard to compare eras but never underestimate how good the 90's legends were.

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@exar8355]

Djokovic wouldn't worship Pete if didn't know the truth. Pete was as good as any play who ever lived. Boris legendary player and athlete too. It's all about strings and tech. Imagine Nadal playing with non poly strings? Hed be amazing cuz he's Nadal but his ball rpm would be 1/3

[@stanleykwan7759]

To say any all time great players would get destroyed is ludicrous. Yes I would favor Djokovic in most matchups because of his all around game, but it is stupid to assume Pete wouldn't even stand a chance. Pete has one of the best serves of all time, one of the best forehands of all time, great volleys and underrated rallys. With today's technology and medical treatments (for Pete's Thalassemia), he would definitely thrive on fast courts (probably switch AO and USO results), like AO, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Shanghai and the indoor hardcourts. Though, if he grew up in the 90s or 00s, he would have probably stuck to a two-handed backhand.

[@younggwillis]

Without attacking anyone’s credibility, I think comparing generational players is something that crosses all sports. The “what if” matchups. Either Nick or Boris didn’t have to get personal to stir up a conversation.

[@xav9258]

But Nick isn't even worthy of tying up Boris' trainers. He has the ability to win a Slam, but is a complete A-hole who assaulted his girlfriend. In his only Grand Slam final, he whined like a baby for over two hours! Boris is an all-time great, who won Wimbledon at 17.

[@aquibobo]

Not to mention that players in the 90’s had more court types to adjust to during the season. In those days some tournaments were played on carpet that was later abandoned. Many timers young players ask me how much slower was tennis in the 80’s and 90’s. My response is always the same: TVs and broadcast were too slow and had awful image quality to capture how fast the game really was. Even in the 60’s and 70’s we had players serving routinely above 120mph with those wooden racquets. It is quite unfair to compare players of different generations, as the level of fitness, sports sciences and medicine, and equipment continue to improve exponentially over the years. I’m sure that any past great champion would have been a champion had they grown in a different generation with the same preparation and equipment as everyone else. It all boils down at the end to intelligence, grit, stamina, and desire to win, and Nick Kyrgios seems to lack all of that.

[@-Munditimum-]

💯 Beautifully said. Thank you!

[@z1az285]

nick also forgets that the speed guns were off by 10 mph (16 kph) in 1996 and before that. becker's first serve speed wasn't 207 kph. more like 223 kph and deadly accurate. he also forgets as you said, they had drive, determination, discipline all of which he lacks. also, becker and lendl were the1st power players in the modern game. in fact becker's serve was faster (143 mph) and devastating in 1986. it was close to unplayable

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@lyd9828]

Kyrgios dispalying his ignorance! Has he not watched any tennis from the 90s? The court speeds were so fast and coupled with different equipment, the return of serve was more difficult. Tennis is slower a lot today. Furthermore, he is presuming the equipment for measuring serve speed is the same as it is today. Sampras and Becker were not pancaking the serve - they were serving absolute bombs!

[@mattiastennis]

He lives in the field of cursory sub-intelligence. Hopefully he will retire but sadly his bro-street sub-genre attitude is somewhat present amongst aus-Failians even though the actual ''Australians'' like Purcell/Millman/Thompson never demonstrate any kind of disrespect. De Minaur was pitiful towards Novak but he is at the highest now that he ever will be

[@Shankar-Bhaskar]

Clown Kyrgios strikes again! What a w@nker

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@robertreyes5036]

This can be said for everyone of this generation. We quickly forget how good past players were. Players today couldn’t handle the constant attacking games of Sampras and Becker. Kyrgios needs to stay in his lane. Dude ain’t won a GS

[@ScaramouchedaVinci]

@@topseykretts7608 You are right!

[@jaygee1979]

No one will remember a guy that didn't win a slam. Sampras, Becker can still be talked about because of their legacy.

[@CH-yp5by]

Sadly he will be remembered as an example of poor sportsmanship , playing a victim to mental health issues as if no one else has them and using the excuse that he brings in crowds and money to justify his behaviour as if this was some how more important. respect, the spirit of the game.

[@xav9258]

Exacto😊

[@TuanNguyen-hu8ue]

Lol, give him a Pro Staff 85 strung @ 34kg tension and see how fast can he serve. That’s what Sampras used back in the 90’s and early 2000’s, not to mention the balls at that time were firmer, flying faster, court surface were much faster => balls bounce much faster compared to now. The top 10 servers of that era served at Kyrgios level or higher

[@Emolga6274]

Yea Sampras needed tight strings for his volley game

[@Sinkopa518]

Well if you give nick all that, firmer balls fast courts…then his serve would be faster wouldnt it?

[@z1az285]

​@@Sinkopa518not necessarily. first the speed guns were 10 mph slower (meadured speed of serves). becker served at 207 kmh on average in the 1996 ATP finals with a 360 grams frame (365 SW). His actual speed was 223 kph but with pin point accuracy. Now nicjk uses a much lighter frame with a bigger head size and he doesn't have the build of becker or Sampras to serve the way they did. yeah he is a big guy but he doesn't use his body as much as they did. its more wristy but be can do it with a lighter frame. conversely, if you gave becker and sampras lighter more powerful frames they would have found it easier to absolutely blast the ball to smithereens. But i doubt nick could have done the same with their equipment

[@z1az285]

​@@Sinkopa518the other point is accuracy. That is one aspect of nicks serving which is exceptional. so he could serve accurately with heavier frames but not with his current actions. and would definitely need better conditioning for sure.

[@milankostic5401]

Becker won his first slam as 17 years old (nearly 40 years ago) and his last slam as 28 years old. Djokovic's Peak Age and Peak Elo was at age of 28, right about where Kyrgios age currently is. 28 year old Nickie decided to peak at Tweeter vs 56 years old Beckie, instead of playing... what a shame

[@alainbrouillaud484]

Nikola this your best post ever!!! When Hewitt defeated Sampras at the US Open that court had slowed down quite a bit. The courts at Indian Wells are incredibly slow. Sampras would have held his own against Djokovic, Federer and Nadal if the court played like they did in the mid 90’s.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@Emolga6274]

Let’s not forget Sampras forehand is way better than nicks as well as volley game.I don’t know how nick can disrespect someone who has won 14 grand slams .

[@garyhoward4064]

He’s allowed to express his opinions. Nothing to do with disrespect.

[@stephenkromidas573]

Something not mentioned. The radar guns measured serve speeds about 5-10 MPH slower in the 1990s. Agassi said Pete served 140+. Look at how high the trajectory and bounces were when Sampras/Becker served aces in that 1996 final! Another example. Agassi's serve speed in the 1990s barely registered over 100 MPH. Later in his career, he was serving up to 120ish with similar technique and equipment? Do we believe Agassi was serving 20 MPH faster at an older age with no significant changes? Granted, he did a lot of kick serves early in his career, but even when he went for it, his serve only registered in the high 90s/low 100s at best with the older rader guns.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@cybernetennis]

Sampras's serve is so beautiful; very little energy lost; forward movement that translated into MPH; even when he was crying and tired.

[@TheTopspin77]

Sampras has 14 Grand Slams and Becker and has 6 and Nick should not disrespect these great champions. Sampras and Edberg were idols of Federer, and you would never hear Federer say they could not compete today. It's just not necessary. All eras had great players in them. Period.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

True Fed idolized Laver

[@TheTopspin77]

Thanks for your intuitive thoughts.@@IntuitiveTennis

[@z1az285]

​@@IntuitiveTennisas did becker. But remember federer said borg is the king for very good reasons. first, borg was a big server, mentally very strong and tireless. what he accomplished with the french Wimbledon double pn slower clay and faster tennis balls on low bouncing Wimbledon grass three years in s row had not been matched today. facts

[@TheTopspin77]

Good point!@@z1az285

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@alainbrouillaud484]

I forgot to mention that Sampras’ serve had much better placement than today’s servers. Nobody forgot the net as fast as Stefan Edberg and Pat Rafter. Today’s players just don’t play serve and volley… they do not possess the instincts to!

[@tommyd7371]

Yes, agreed - Edberg had the perfect kick serve for a serve volley game - which maximised his time to get to the net - combined with extraordinary accuracy, foot speed and balance when he played the first volley.

[@rhoclouds]

yeah even some of the current game's top servers like hurkacz, bublik, shelton, and jarry aren't known at all for precision. they might have the power, height, and spin but are nowhere near as precise as the likes of ivanisevic, sampras, and federer.

[@tennisteuton]

Great analysis. We should also not forget that camera perspectives have changed as well. We are now much more often close with the players. Many times, we watch players even at court level. In the 1980s and 1990s, there was one camera perspective - above - and that was it. Nowadays, every tennis racquet in the store has a player portrait that screams "LFG" at you. So of course, today's game appears faster than 30 years ago.

[@-Munditimum-]

Let's not forget the master from the 70s, Roscoe Tanner who would serve 135MPH with composite racquets. He was clocked 153mph in a game I watched in 1979. Nick has some unnecessary fire in the belly. Not too sure if he'll ever switch it off, but it's my opinion that it hasn't helped his tennis unfortunately. Agree with all your points Nik. I don't get Kyrgios' temper. It seems like most of his statements are from emotions and probably not from his clear mind. Too bad since he can be extremely intelligent. Cheers, M

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Well said

[@-Munditimum-]

Cheers.@@IntuitiveTennis

[@mattiastennis]

He does not have a mind let alone a clear one. This is not the first time nor the last that he insults past champions and our Sport in general. Cursory and bro-street anti-kultur approach to 'existence' along with post-modern hyper-egoism and you start to gain an understanding of how Kyrgios 'operates'..

[@-Munditimum-]

Hopefully For his sake at least, not having a mind is by choice, or else he's in trouble. I can see your point of view. The Hyper egotism is sad one in his case. I think for some reason or another it maybe an issue with his self loathing state that he just projects onto others. Whatever the case maybe, it's hard to take his side when he's so disrespectful and ungrateful to others (whether it's old tennis greats or his opponent and even his team). Often people like this end up hurting themselves more than anyone else. We can see this clearly in his performance, compared to what he can probably do.@@mattiastennis

[@Shankar-Bhaskar]

​@@-Munditimum- I wouldn't Psycho-Analyse someone like Kyrgios, he had a lobotomy when he was 9.

[@tennishistoryandresultsdat4540]

I largely agree with the author of this video. But what he didn't stress enough - is modern strings. They are much friendlier to the control. This means that with outdated strings (from 90s) it was much harder to control the ball while maintaining the same speed. As a result modern players appear more talented and advanced. But in reality the estimate shall be adjusted severely. Which utterly invalidates the point Kyrgios was making.

[@HeartInitiation]

Pete's second serve definitely the GOAT + with Federer the most aesthetically beautiful serve of all time.

[@williewasahippie]

This is BS because an old Agassi, with a bad back, and in one of his last US Open matches, was able to push a young Federer in his prime. Agassi , Sampras, and Becker would all do well vs today's players, especially with today's racquets and string. It took Fed 5 sets to beat Sampras at Wimbledon. No, would today's players do well on the faster courts from decades past?

[@TheTopspin77]

Good analysis and point. I agree.

[@PaulCarlson-p1y]

Great analysis! Please do more videos on these courts. I love those gorgeous trees behind you!

[@TheTopspin77]

I think people have to understand that in general players have gotten better through the generations, but the GREAT ONES can play in any era. For example, Andre Agassi was a top player in the late 1980s and he was still winning Grand Slams in the early 2000s and he even faced Federer in a US Open Final in 2005 almost 20 years after he started on tour. A young 19-year-old Sampras or 17-year-old Becker would be able to compete today because they are talented and would also have today's equipment and training and would adapt to today's conditions.

[@-Munditimum-]

💯

[@josiprakonca2185]

I hated Sampras and Agassi back in the day because they were Goran Ivanišević's bane. I know now that Ivanišević lacked the skill and mental toughness to take a step further. Nevertheless, he reached ranking no. 2 on the ATP, which is a great achievement for someone like him. I loved Sampras's game, so beautiful, so elegant, yet lethal. He was the Federer of his time. Sampras was drained by the attention, and Federer found a way to gain from it. That and medical issues prevented Sampras from doing more.

[@xav9258]

And Jimmy Connors was in the Top 5 in the world for 705 weeks. I agree with the same equipment, training methods, updated nutritional info and so forth, people like Laver, Sampras, Lendl and Borg would still be great. What they had, that many players don't have today, is a strong mentality. Lots of players now are just self-entitled brats such as Kyrios and Holger Rune. A caveat, there have always been self-entitled brats, i.e. John McEnroe. However, he was immensely talented being probably the best natural volleyer of all-time, actually won stuff (7 Slams), and elevated the sport to a new level.

[@cam1210]

Underneath it all, it's obvious Kygrios has never got rid of his mental demons and he masks the problems with his antics and words. He's afraid of failure and he's saying all of this to convince himself he plays in a more difficult era than back in the 1990s. I bet if he eventually won a Grand Slam, he could break free of this mindset and realise his true potential. I feel like time is running out though, and he'll end up being remembered as someome that never reached his true potnetial.

[@gurvijaygill328]

Kyrgios trying real hard to stay relevant as he knows that he is dome tennis wise. He essentially is trying to be a media personality now. Make a tweet , take a jab at someone popular and you emsure that you keep drivimg emgagement on your social media platforms. Kyrgios is a "has been" for a while now. Champions will be champions in any era , give peak Sampras todays technology, training and recovery methods and he will will still dominate and will be a top 20. Kyrgios is d$ckriding Djokovic now, wasn't he is his hater not too long back. Only to validate his only worthy achievement in his csreer , getting to Wimby finals.

[@nightowldickson]

Kyrgios is just a troll. Yes he has beaten the guys before as he says in 6:14, but how many times in grand slam tournaments? Quite convenient of him to not mention that. 6:42 his favourite tactic, calling people potato heads and names. Yes, so he called Djokovic things during COVID and now he's like his biggest fan boy. He also called Federer the GOAT and now he says Djokovic is the GOAT because he got wiped by Djokovic in the Wimbledon Finals. There's the credibility of his opinion. He's just baiting people to get attention.

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@shroud1390]

Totally agree. Though some of the comments talk about the Tech difference and speed. Its not exactly true. Mark Philippoussis did a test and he served with a wood racquet and his normal one and the MPH was pretty similar with him averaging 124mph and 122mph with the wooden racquet. The big difference in speed is that in the olden days it was measured after impact and today it is measured at impact, so the speed seems higher today but its not as this vid points out.

[@sarkology]

This analysis is spot on. And I think Sampras would beat Djokovic on fast surfaces. Even a retired Sampras did very well against peak Federer in exhibition matches where they were both playing high level. Sampras at Wimbledon and the ATP finals in 1999 show just how dominant he was. When we talk about GOATs, Sampras was the only one that has no debate as to the GOAT of his era. Every other player has a debate. That shows how far above everyone he was. And if you look at how old he was when he reached 14 slams, it’s basically the same as the big 3, just didn’t have the longevity as them. Also the game conditions and technology changed. Poly strings and slower balls and surfaces.

[@jokelot5221]

Sampras would beat Djokovic 🤔. Yes, but Djokovic would beat Sampras 9 out of 10 times. Like he did mr 40:15 post 2011 😂. Weakdal had clay to hide to, and even him wasnt safe. I respect Sampras, but unfortunatelly for him, Djokovic would dominate him even worse than Fedals. Kyrgios is almost right. But i dont think Sampras would be desteoyed every time. Same goes for Becker.

[@muskistutter]

@@jokelot5221 oh the gibberish. Run on sentences much?

[@Sinkopa518]

Exactly, you have to be the best and dominant in your era in order to be compared to others from their era. Although I dont agree that we dont know who is the greatest in the era of novak nadal and federer. It is well known! Federer won only 5 grand slams from 2010. Then you have novak and nadal, apart from grand slams other main records cannot be compared. I would put sampras before federer if you look at ir from the widest possible perspective. So djokovic first and then sampras. And djokovic would beat sampras on any surface no doubt about it because of the evolution of tennis. Every single aspect has evolved.

[@TheTopspin77]

Such nonsense. There is no way to have a definitive answer to such a hypothetical question. You say you "respect Sampras" at the same time you insult him. If you take a top form peak Sampras on the 1990s grass courts of Wimbledon, I think Sampras would have a very good chance to beat Novak. I definitely don't think Novak would beat Sampras 9 out of 10 times on the 1990s Wimbledon grass. In addition, if Sampras has a 100 square inch Head Racket like Novak and polyester strings, I definitely think Sampras would do well.@@jokelot5221

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@livingtribunal4110]

Kyrgios being Kyrgios as usual. Maybe he´s just bored waiting for GTA6 to drop...

[@Monsterenergy791]

I can't blame him, been over 10 years since GTA 5

[@-Munditimum-]

It's too bad though. I feel like he doesn't understand that being nicer will get him the love and respect that he desperately seeks from everyone, regardless of his act of "I don't give a shit about anybody". Oh well, as you said, Kyrgios is just being Kyrgios.

[@mattiastennis]

Every GTA release signifies at least 1 point drop in average Global IQ

[@goggleboy2464]

Goran would ace him off the court to this day and sampras as well

[@cyberjonesy]

Kyrgios has always been the controversial type, I dont think we should pay much attention to him. He likes to stir things up and let them boil for no reason. He's in a bad stage of his career right now, so maybe he's venting some frustration out.

[@Marc443]

Becker is playing today with 56 years a better volley than all of the actual today. His generation had a definitively the bigger collection of playing skills.

[@koyc8194]

Getting into a dialogue or exchange or even an ear to a person like Kyrgios is criminal waste of time. Most of the tennis he played in his little pathetic career is with his mouth, uttering nonsense whenever not spitting. Frankly putting Sampras 's name with Kyrgios is utterly insulting and disrespectful towards the great champion.

[@Shankar-Bhaskar]

Lately Kyrgios has been sucking Novaxx's w££ner for clout reasons. A few years back he couldn't care less about Djocovid or his game, and said as such. Back then he tried to weasel his way into Roger's world as well by being overly complementary to him, but Federer saw through his smarmy ways.

[@rickyismyuncle4485]

Bad example USO final. Medvedev was standing back all the way in the stance, therefore any serve would have worked with fast approach.

[@arbiter9000]

I think they changed / improved how they recorded serve speeds in the early 00s as well, which increased the serving speeds seen. Ultimately players today are better physically due to nutrition and sports science and practice footwork and groundstrokes to a greater degree than the past, as they are (even) more important in today's game. Volleying and serving are not considered quite as important, which reflects the conditions and equipment. Would love to see Kyrgios try and serve 130+ with an 80s pro staff and some balls from that era...

[@z1az285]

This!!! Exactly right. The speed guns were 10 mph slower. For context Becker typical first serves in the 1996 ATP finals at Hannover were 207-208 kph (130 mph). His actual speed today was close to 140 mph. In 1986 he was clocked at 141 mph. In reality he was 151 mph and deadly accurate. Of course he lost speed over 10 years but his accuracy in 1996 was just as good as it was 10 years ago. 31 aces vs sampras in the final was nothing to scoff at.

[@stefanthomassen4750]

Then watch a Stefan Edberg or Patrick Rafter moving... as good as the best of today...

[@BurnsTennis]

I wouldn't take too much notice on Kyrgios. Mainly because he is an abject failure who couldn't even win a masters tournament. And the one final he did make at Wimbledon, as soon as it started to go wrong in the 3rd set he had a meltdown like a little schoolboy. And what is Krgios doing now? He is probably overweight and out of shape for a professional player. If he still plays that is.

[@TheTopspin77]

In addition, Kyrios is only talking about the physical aspect of tennis but the mental part is so important also. Great champions like Becker and Sampras could handle the pressure a lot better than Kyrios does.

[@Supertico-zj7sg]

Comparing different generations is not very beneficial. Why can we appreciate the greats from each generation. We will never know for sure how a great one will fare against another great from another generation. At that point it’s opinions and everyone will always believe their opinion is better than someone else’s. That’s why I don’t even believe in picking a GOAT. Each generation had its own GOAT. Let’s appreciate the game of tennis and amazing players that have made it what it is today. There’s no Federer without Sampras. There’s no Djoko without Federer and Nadal, each player pushes the next to be better. Best sport ever. Let’s celebrate all the great ones.

[@TheTopspin77]

Very well said!

[@gurvijaygill328]

Be super disrespectful to someone like Becker , call him getting wiped by Djokovic in a hypothetical scenario and then try to get away by saying "i am just stating facts bro" . What a hypcrite

[@mattiastennis]

The bro ghetto-anti kultur in full view. Sadly these type$ are all to common as society decays to the bottom..

[@Mmoran64]

one thing that can't be ignored is the game has evolved/advanced with better technique and better understanding of the game which I think would give today's ATP players an advantage over players from Sampras era. So if you could take Sampras or Becker from their peak and have a match VS Djokovic or many of the other top ATP players of today I would put my money on todays players.

[@JacObi-Wan-KenObi]

Word! A little more than 20 years ago I had a club member that exclusively played with Becker’s racquets. I borrowed one and played with it for an hour but it was hard as h**l to serve with, it almost felt like playing with a ping-pong racquet… Most first serves ended up in the net and it was even worse with the second serves. Mind you, I was in my late twenties and and much stronger and agile than now. The racquet tension wasn’t nearly as high as the one Becker used (I know that since my friend used to string at Wimbledon and he strung several of Becker’s racquets). I can only imagine the strenghth and technique the guys needed back in the days. And yeah, I have also played with the old Pro Staffs and Prestiges used by Sampras and Ivanisevic and it was more or less the same experience but Becker’s racquet was the worst.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@z1az285]

Wow, I have one of his estusa frames (provantech pb 360 grams, no headguard) (the 16x19 version with the fake screw) and the original lead tape still on it. I restrung it with multi filament and though I can't serve well with it, I have not hit with a better frame on groundstrokes. Absolutely sublime feel, power and stability and the pattern takes a little getting used to but one can pancake the ball or hit with heavy spin with proper mechanics. Slices are the best. The ball just skids through the court, needless to say the younger players with their extreme grips say, stop it 😂

[@hehehehehahahaha2025]

Bad take from Kyrgios, especially regarding the serve speeds. They used different radars and the method for measuring was different; back then the speed of the ball was measured as it was reaching the net, these days it's measured from behind the server and it picks up the immediate speed of the ball as it comes off the racket strings. A 200 km/h serve back then isn't that far off from a 220 km/h serve today. I believe in the 2001 Wimbledon they might've had the 'modern' radars in use and in his match vs Federer you could see an over-the-hill Sampras consistently blast serves in the mid 130s, including out wide. And Sampras was never the fastest of the big servers since he relied more on spin, placement and disguise.

[@randy5298]

Yep. It’s the same in baseball. The speed is measured out the hand now vs near the plate back in the day. It massively inflates the speeds today.

[@mattiastennis]

@@randy5298Why do you think they really wish to inflate the speeds today?

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@fundhund62]

That same old nonsense. Kyrgios and Djokovic can be happy they don't have to play Becker, Edberg or Sampras. It wouldn't go well for them.

[@Zeroasd693]

Kyrgios just wanted to win the argument, his reasonings are flawed because he did not play in the the lightning fast court eras and he is too ignorant to acknowledge the difference and the significance that of the court

[@vnishpt7036]

Great points made in the video & by Becker too imo. Absolutely ZERO respect for Kyrgios after reading those disrespectful comments. Can't imagine Roddick & Courier wanting to work along side this guy on tennis channel after reading this stuff. Pretty much just meaningless words from a guy with ZERO singles slams. Becker w/6 & Sampras w/14 Slams, NEXT.......!!!

[@xxxs8309]

I highly doubt anyone can return Sampras serve

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

Agreed. Truth is that I watch the “older” full matches on KZbin versus the new ones because tennis players from decades ago had true charisma and I get bored with most everyone today except for Struff. I appreciate the current awesomeness but I’d rather watch Blake vs Agassi 2005 or Federer than this past years tennis. Djokovic is the goat but I guess I wanna just see hard forehand winners…Agassi, Blake, Federer. The best

[@alemagjoh]

Watch Kafelnikov for backhand bombs down the line! Baseline monster!

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

@@alemagjoh I love his game. A true master and direct threat to anyone on his court

[@alemagjoh]

@@PrecisionPointTennis very entertaining to watch him. Also I like to watch Chang’s games. He had a sprint like a cheetah. Counterpuncher.

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

@@alemagjoh I played with Chang. He’s definitely a fighter. I didn’t care for his game though. I like more flash. But he was a true fighter for every single point. Glad he won a slam

[@LouKadian]

The great Michael Stich had perfect bio-mechanics on his serve.

[@alpinescope4441]

Kyrgios certainly has lot of raw talent in tennis, but I wouldn't trust much about what he says about tennis. He wouldn't have said things like that had he watched some tennis in history. (he admitted that he never watches tennis.) In 2007 a Federer in prime played three exhibition matches against a retired Sampras. Federer won the first two 6-4, 6-3 and 7-6, 7-6, but lost the 3rd 7-6, 6-4. All three matches are quite competitive. Clearly if playing only a one match dual, rather than a long drawn out season, even Federer in his prime could not easily "wipe out" a retired Sampras. And then for a while players such as John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Sampras etc all played in a senior league (Champions Series) around 2010. McEnroe in his early 50's were actually highly competitive against Sampras/Courier who were 10+ years younger. It's ludicrous to think that modern day players could easily "wipe out" past greats.

[@awachsmann]

As always great insight Nick!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@stefanthomassen4750]

When Becker won his first Wimbledon-title with 17, they interviewed his opponent Kevin Kurren, why he had that big problems in returning the services and he said "it is really hard to return something, you don´t see". Becker was "ending an era" of great players like Connors, McEnroe and partly Lendl, because he could over-power them, especially with his service and volley-game (and McEnroe was one or the volley-player for a decade). That is also the reason, why Becker still could win agaist Sampras in 1996 at Stuttgart-Indoors, one of the best matches ever or even won 1996 Australian Open at the end of his career. I played at this time the last Ivan Lendl-Adidas-Racket with close to 350g and 34/34 kilos stringing, compared to my todays played Head-Prestige-Pro with 300g and 20/18 kilos, there are worlds between this rackets, although I started with wooden rackets of the Borg-era...

[@gretchenlittle6817]

Arguing with Kyrgios is like wrestling a pig -- you're gonna end up with mud all over and the pig likes it.

[@doublehanded]

True. On fast surfaces Sampras and Becker would still shine.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@karolprzybylak1238]

Even though some surfaces now are slower than before (Paris) the average rally length has decreased significantly over the years, indicating that todays game is more aggressive on average. I will come back with the stats when I find them.

[@z1az285]

yes, but you have to cite context. The french open plays faster today because of lighter balls and more powerful equipment. when nadal won vs djokovic in the 2020 final, he dominated the 0-4 shot rallues so first strike tennis still matters. doesn't matter if its serve + volley or serve + groundstroke. the setve is a very important stroke. always has been

[@1114gabby]

Its hard to compare different generations due to all the reasons noted, but if given all the advantages players have now I think Becker and Sampras would have a chance against Novak and other top players. The main issue is that they used serve and volley and I think changes in the game have made that very difficult to do consistently now. I agree with Nick that Sampras and Becker had unbelievable serves.

[@z1az285]

they were not just serve volleyers. Becker (and lendl) were the first power baseliners with big serves, though becker was a great volleyer too. Sampras was the next iteration of lendl (5 years after becker ) and was actually a baseliner with a big serve though his volleys improved later plus his lack of stamina on clay (thalassemia) was the reason he didn't win the French and serve volleyed lot more later in his career. Becker's baseline game was underrated, while his issue on clay was footwork he reached three french open semis (to one from pete). in fact the 90s had a lot of dangerous all court players, like rafter, stich, ivanisevic, krajicek, korda, phillipoussis etc. only cash, edberg and McEnroe were True serve volleyers but they had decent groundstrokes though they lacked power.

[@jorgetirado3201]

Thank you sir! Totally agree

[@stefanthomassen4750]

Speed on service is so unimportant. Just watch one of the best players, Stefan Edberg, even with his 2nd service he played successful serve & volley. And he never had the speed of Becker, Stich, Ivaniseviv or other speed-servers. Only perfect placement and quick legs to attack directly.

[@ryanbakerproffitt1830]

I hear this disrespect on my USTA team all the time from the young guys. Novak Djokovic, Nadal (my fave), and even Murray have thrived from being great defenders and movers in a much slower game. Go back and watch USO Agassi/Fed 04,05: they crush the ball. Additionally, after rewatching Sampras as an adult, I’ve realized he was way more athletic than the big four. Dude’s jump-smash and speed was Monfils like.

[@zbabyg6998]

Did we expect anything sensible to come out of Kyrgios' mouth?

[@ralki15]

Kyrgios a great player?? 🤣 I can't believe you would say that about him 🤣 With a drama queen attitude that Kyrigios has in addition to a weak mentality, the guy will NEVER win a singles GS title 🤣 He's simply too "full" of himself to not fix any of his flaws. Guys like him are hopeless at this point. FYI Kyrgios had a opportunity of trying to win his 1st GS title against Djokovic at the finals of Wimbledon 2022, but FAILED.

[@Mark-v9y8w]

As I recall, didn't Federer and Sampras play an exhibition match after Sampras had retired and Sampras took a set off Federer. However, the past great players who grew up using wood racquets would find the power game today difficult.

[@kennethwoodard2318]

Nick Kyrgios is full of talent and I think Novak could be the GOAT, but this POV is absurd. If Kyrgios had tried to play his game 20 - 25 years ago with the racquet and string technology then, his arm (or wrist) would not be sore - it would have fallen off. Each generation makes different demands with the mix of conditions/surfaces, the type of equipment (racquets, balls) and the type of preparation (diet, physiotherapy, etc) available to the players.

[@poseidon8680]

I wouldn’t listen to anything that Kyrgios says.. don’t take him seriously

[@carniedph]

Sampras in his heydey on the old wimbledon grass would obliterate djoker, wouldnt even be close.

[@TheTopspin77]

I think it would be close but I think Sampras would have a very good chance at winning that match. He did win it 7 times on the old fast grass.

[@carniedph]

@@TheTopspin77 Yeah, i mean that was sampras specialty, and the old grass was faster back then. It is notoriously slower now. ALthough DJoker has pulled away lately, when Fed and Nadal were in their prime they were pretty even to Djoker. And Sampras on fast grass is definitely on par with Fed and Nadal (overall 14 grand slams for Sampras..he was basically as good IMO).

[@TheTopspin77]

Very good point and I agree. That's why it bothers me when someone says Becker or Sampras could not compete with Djokovic. They make it sound like Novak would beat them 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, which is ridiculous!@@carniedph

[@arvinjuntereal1004]

I like tennis from the 90s, the Sampras era. He is my all time favorite. I like the serve and volley game of tennis, which you don’t see often nowadays. Slower courts and advancement in tennis equipment might have contributed to the decline in serve and volley game. Not that I do not like how the game is played now. I just prefer the way the game was played back then. It is a beauty to see him and other serve and volley players (Henman, Rafter, Edberg, Becker, to name a few) execute their game. It is difficult to compare 90s tennis from today’s because of the different playing conditions.

[@abhs1141]

Kyrious hasn't watched Sampras vs Federer . Federer on the rise , Sampras close to retirement. It was a very good match up .

[@Mmoran64]

Didn't federer win that one when he was new to the tour? Sampras showed great respect for Federer's tennis in the interviews as Sampras took flak for losing the match to a nobody at the time. Sampras told everyone that this new guy was the real deal.

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@mr.limbismusic970]

Phenomenal video🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@AA-le9ls]

I heard an interview with Edberg in Swedish about ten years ago, and he said something similar to what Kyrgios is saying now. According to Edberg, Federer and Djokovic were playing at a new, earlier unseen, incredibly high level. "We were good also", Edberg put it, "but not in comparison to these guys".

[@pleaseenteraname1103]

It’s hilarious anybody could say that Tennis back then was slower. Like just watch any Wimbledon matches from back in the day, and the same goes for hardcourt as well.

[@rodctenis]

These are facts, Kyrios says. Actually not, he is theorizing, assuming, imagining, far from facts.

[@sassanxersi1849]

The real thing is that Sampras was a decent guy and a worthy champion. Triggers mad people to attack him.

[@Sinkopa518]

Sampras is for me the second best player of all time!

[@n.nurkic4674]

what is the white racket?

[@freddytrinidad3155]

Also want to add that Sampras and Becker had superior mental stability (more so Sampras) than most of the players today. That's what separates the grand slam winners to those who haven't won. It's why Djokovic still thrives today

[@bobc7066]

excellent video... and great analysis,, tennis in the 90s was too fast.. almost unwatchable..

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@headandshoulders4450]

Sampras beat Hewitt in the semis 2000, lost to Safin in the final. He then beat Safin in the semis of 2001 and yes, Kyrgios is right, then lost to Hewitt in the final. But Sampras also won the US Open in 2002, so what´s the deal here?

[@TheTopspin77]

You are so correct, and their head-to-head was Hewitt 5 wins and Sampras 4 wins, and Sampras was the older player, but their record was basically even.

[@angk9561]

Nick is only starting beef to attract attention and get people interested on his onlyfans...as thats his means of income now..he knows he has to create a revenue stream before he's broke and irrelevant like bernard tomic ...Sampras on his day was unbelievable...it's not all speed but hitting spots accurately...the 90s gen caused a change in Wimbledon grass to slow it down and create rallies....this was a huge mistake and killed off serve and volley players...long rallies is for clay...grass is supposed to suit a serve volleyer...like clay suits a baseliner...now all the surfaces suit baseliners and tennis is becoming one dimensional...the finese and soft hands has died...alcaraz tries to use soft hands and finese with his drop shot...but that's about it.....and I'm not even going to talk improvements in technology

[@ernestomonaco9788]

I think Nick just needs to attract some attention on him now that his return to play looks still far away. Comparing players of different eras is always pointless. I personally loved Becker and Sampras and I am sure they'd shine in modern tennis, with modern rackets, modern training methodologies. Funny Nick mentions Djokovic but forgets Nole's coach. A guy like Goran was simply unplayable on his serving games and would be like so today as well.

[@stefanthomassen4750]

Goran never won in a final against Becker, Becker won multiple times in a finale against him ;-)

[@Mmoran64]

You ever here of a guy named John Isner or Riley Opelca along with numerous other players on tour Ben shelton incl have huge serves, huge kick serves. Todays game is a step up from 2 decades ago. Never been more aggressive, physical or competitive. The game has progressed to a higher level as sports tend to do using what they have learned from previous generations.

[@POK2008]

I may be in the minority here, but I really like Nick and his game. However, with that being said, I disagree wholeheartedly with his take on the past player's and the game. First, the game was by no means "slow" when Becker and Sampras played. As was stated in this video, go back and watch the 1996 World Tour Finals match between Boris and Pete. That was pure power tennis! They were hitting the ball huge. The homogenization of the courts on the tour was meant to slow the game down. Nick says that Novak would eat these guys alive, and that may be the case with the speed of the courts today, but what about during the 90s when the court speed actually varied? I think today's guys would have a much tougher time adjusting. Also, I wonder how Nick would serve/play if he had to play with a Wilson 6.0 Prostaff 85 strung with full gut at 70lbs, or a Puma Boris Becker racquet? I guarantee if you gave a prime Becker and Sampras a racquet of today and strung it with gut/poly, their serves would be even bigger. Sampras, in my opinion, has the greatest serve (first and second) of all-time. I just don't think Nick gives enough credit to the guys of yesteryear.

[@z1az285]

Exactly 💯

[@MrMSS22]

One should distinguish between Nick's playing capabilities and his loose mouth. He should just shut up and play tennis.

[@topseykretts7608]

this is laughable! It's all about the frame and string technology of modern tennis. Do you really think Kyrgios would even win one game against Pete Sampras if you made him use pete's racquet and strings from 1996? LMFAO!! no way. Of course NOT!!! Give Nick an 85 square inch Wilson pro-staff from 1984 (like pete used) and it would be an absolute slaughter!! Maybe Novak would fair a bit better because he's simply a better player, but Sampras would still kill him if they both used 1990's racquets and string technology. Silly!!!

[@williammartin8459]

I'd like to see Kyrgios keep that same energy and opinion while playing Guga in '98--2000' time frame.. 😂

[@Mmoran64]

Todays ATP & WTA tennis is better than ever so many talented players all next level more physical than ever. Not lopsided with a few individuals dominating new talent arriving every year. Tougher than ever. These players are giving new life to tennis.

[@robertreyes5036]

Tennis channel and or ESPN needs to hire this man!!!

[@likeadcarry]

also 90s players tend to hit pass the services line too

[@Ako1130]

100% agreed, except this "goat" terminology. I prefer use dominancy, because it reflects better to the resistance of players in a certain era. Novak is among the bests, Rafa and Roger too, but all of them have lot of weaknesses, like Sampras, Becker, Lendl, Agassi. There are fantastic players, i can't pick one out of the box.

[@xg3069]

Would be great to get your analysis on random serves! I looked at Arthur Fils for example and thought (even though am not even a coach) that there is so much room for improvement.

[@FMD023]

Becker is a hater of any tennis player he’s not coaching or didn’t play in his era. When they called RFs sabr attack he got butt hurt about it and said it’s just a chip and charge.

[@sportslover2356]

I think too many people are attacking Kyrgios personally when the original quote was from The Athlete, a reputable sports magazine. He was talking about comparing players then and now. He did NOT at ANY time refer to himself. He was referring to current players such as Alcaraz and Djokovic and Sinner. He knows his career is over and he may never play again. His serving wrist and landing knee are permanently injured. He is now a keen observer of current players. He knows he has failed his fans and country during the big four era. That is irrelevant. He has been told he is a failure since he stepped onto the court. You don't have to keep telling him. However his observations are not irrelevant because many legends have noticed that he has an all time high tennis IQ. His observations were about current players. For heavens sake stop attacking him personally. He has been kicked senseless all his career. Time to use his knowledge and experience. Becker had no right to attack him.

[@Marekxxk]

I thought he matured. He got just more insane.

[@mauricecatayan3406]

To be fair, I agree that today's super baseliners would be tough customers for the legends. Sure, court speeds might have slowed, but groundstroke ball speeds have definitely gone up, and today's players are faster, return better, and retrieve better. Both Pete and Becker would have to be in top top form consistently to win. That's a tall order. Their serves, and in turn their S&V game, would not be as consistently in top form as the other players' ground and return game. Eaten alive, most unlikely! They'd probably have winning h2h records against some of the top 10. However, against the entire field of top 20 baseline machines, the legends would still have a losing record, albeit their losses would not be blowouts as Nick sees it.

[@marcomonti9823]

The question is: would do Nole beat himself when he was 21y old?Yes! Every player improves in time with equipments and new technique, adapting to the new standards. Every past champion wuold have the ability to improve his game to the next level and compete with the others. Isolated in their time with their "in time" abilities, I think that Becker-Nole in 1995 may be a tought match, in 2023 Nole will easily beat Boris...Probably a smart player like Nole in 1995 may trasform his game in a more aggressive one, making more s&v and attach schemes, Becker nowadays the inverse.

[@Sinkopa518]

Of course because todays novak is better than 10 years ago novak. He didnt lose in his speed and agility as much as he gained in every other aspect of the game. He will start losing when he loses his speed more and could not get the dropshot from younger players.

[@marcomonti9823]

​@@Sinkopa518 Do you think that if atp and wta have decided in 2011 to enlarge tennis balls of 1 cm and admit only raquet of max 90 sq inch, Nole became a n 15 atp???No, today we will count more or less 20 Slam ...

[@sergiosimbula]

I knew you would completely disagree with Nick, and also that you would destroy his statements so eloquently.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@stef_v]

I disagree with some things Kyrgios said, but it's disappointing that Becker didn't respond to anything he said, he just invalidated his opinion because he hasn't won a grand slam.

[@t2dev]

Pete was serving 135 regularly with a 95 in racket on gut. He was ripping forehands, backhands, moved like a cat and volleyed like a ninja. What kicked Pete's ass and had him retire was back injury. If he had today's modern medicine, training methods, modern rackets he'd be kicking ass. Also, Nick is not one of today's greatest. He'll retire and no one will remember him except for his mouth and clown game.

[@farid1406]

I mean Pete was the best player of his era that included many slam winners like Agassi, Becker, Edbeg, Courier, Rafter, Kafelnikov and on and on and on and is one if the 5 best of all time. On a fast surface he has the advantage against anyone, including the big 3 and yes, even the master himself...Nick Kyrgios.

[@bubaba8938]

Players are more athletic nowadays, there's a reason why the game has evolved in a way that it did.

[@JiraiyaSama86]

I'm not saying that anyone doesn't have a case, including you. But bad arguments should be called out. Saying that Djokovic would figure out a way because he's the GOAT is a bad argument. Saying that he would figure out a way because he's one of the best at returning serves and breaking serves, including some of the best would be better. Add on top of that, his ability to do so under pressure shows itself. There are a list of better ways you can make your case rather than saying it's because he's the GOAT. I could go on with Kyrgios and Becker, but this already seems long.

[@caioscofield]

the slow part of the past was the player's movement, not the ball speed

[@abhijitsen7749]

Ask Djokovic to use the same racket as Pete/Becker and play serve & volley. Then we'll see who beats whom.

[@anemicroyalty8764]

I could sort of understand Nick’s “appeal” to people a few years ago, but not anymore. There’s nothing he offers that someone else doesn’t in a superior package. If you want a thrilling game with great athleticism, you have Carlos. If you’re looking for a thunderbolt server but with a lazy, Devil May Care attitude, there’s Bublik. If you are looking for just straight up obnoxiousness, there’s Shelton. If you want an anti-hero spoiler there’s Meddy.

[@Spajk77-xm2ii]

Game back then did not have so profesional than Djoković, he is even better in 36 then ever if you look numbers. Like it or not. Nick is just impres with him like half of the planet.

[@davebudge4526]

The rackets and strings were so different back then in the 1980s and 1990s back then if you didn't make a clean contact on return you would shank the shot or barely get it back ,the courts were faster the balls were lighter and the bounces were uneven compared to today . Novak would find Becker and especially Sampras serves almost overwhelming back in the 80s and 90s using the rackets and strings of the day and they would get their wins aganist Novak but I'll admit they both would struggle horribly aganist the Novak of today if they were all using the latest 2024 era rackets and strings even if you could make them young men for a one off match.

[@M.EngelhART]

It Is Simple: Becker Was The First Who Played Power Tennis. Also, Kyrgios Cannot Change It.