Nick Kyrgios continues feud with 'ridiculous' Boris Becker - "I've brought million more fans to tennis, made more money for everyone"
Nick Kyrgios has hit back at Boris Becker's claims that former players paved the way for the Aussie to earn without playing tennis all year.
Kyrgios and Becker have had a bit of a feud lately over the former's comments where he said that the previous era of tennis was slow and that current players would defeat them.
The German recently spoke to Eurosport and said that one needed to have respect for the previous generation of players and thank them since the "tennis circus" wouldn't exist without them.
"We live in a democracy. Everyone can think what he wants. You have to have respect for the past and simply say 'thank you' out loud that these old pros existed, because without them the tennis circus would no longer exist," the former World No. 1 said.
Becker also said that the previous generation of players made it possible for Kyrgios to make a living from tennis despite hardly playing in 2023.
"All these players make it possible for Nick Kyrgios not to play tennis at all this year and still be able to make a living from tennis," the six-time Grand Slam champion said.
Kyrgios responded to Becker's statements by claiming that he was among the "few players" who brought a million more fans to the sport and made more money for others. He also spoke about the German not being present in the Netflix documentary "Break Point".
"Bro what. I’ve been one of the FEW PLAYERS that have brought million more fans to the sport and have made more money for everyone. NETFLIX…. Don’t remember seeing Boris on there. Guy is ridiculous. I’ve made my career off the court without the help of the others," Kyrgios said.
Nick Kyrgios will miss Australian Open 2024
Nick Kyrgios has confirmed that he will not be competing at the 2024 Australian Open, claiming that he returned to action too soon after undergoing surgery on his knee while also mentioning wrist issues.
The 28-year-old's best performance at his home Slam came in 2015 when he reached the quarterfinals before falling to Andy Murray. The Aussie last competed at the Melbourne Major in 2022, where he reached the second round before losing to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
Kyrgios played just one match in 2023 at the BOSS Open in Stuttgart where he lost 7-5, 6-3 to Wu Yibing in the opening round. The Aussie's prolonged absence from the ATP Tour has seen him drop out of the rankings.