"Pete Sampras, Boris Becker would hang with anyone" - Nick Kyrgios saying tennis was 'slow' last century is 'a weird flex,' according to journalist

Nick Kyrgios' recent comments about modern top players like Novak Djokovic being much better at tennis than past legends has not gone down well with Jon Wertheim, a journalist who has covered the sport for nearly three decades.

On Tuesday (December 12), in an interview with 'The Athletic', Kyrgios seemingly undermined the skills of tennis greats from the last century. He suggested that Novak Djokovic would 'eat Boris Becker alive' if they faced off in the modern era, where a power-packed game is essential.

The 28-year-old also referred to Lleyton Hewitt's straight-sets beatdown of 14-time Major winner Pete Sampras in the 2001 US Open final to illustrate his point. Here are some excerpts from Kyrgios' interview:

"The game was so slow back then. I’ve watched Boris Becker and I’m not saying they weren’t good in their time, but to say that they would be just as good now, it’s absurd. A big serve back then was like 197 to 200. People like me, we serve 220 consistently, to corners. It’s a whole different ball game... if you serve anything less than 220 bro, Djokovic eats you alive.

"Lleyton Hewitt destroyed Sampras one year at the U.S. Open. That was the first prototype of someone who could return serve. He made Sampras look like sh*t. And what would Djokovic do to someone like Sampras? It would be a cleanup. If Hewitt was doing it, Djokovic would destroy him. He would eat him alive."

Nick Kyrgios' comments, however, have elicited plenty of opposition on social media from fans and former players alike. Sports Illustrated journalist Jon Wertheim also gave his two cents on the subject on Thursday (December 14).

The 53-year-old first reminded fans how Sampras and Becker dominated grasscourt tennis during their respective primes. He then expressed his confusion at why Kyrgios would downplay some of the greatest players of all time, calling it "a weird flex."

"Even if you felt this way - and for the record, Sampras + Becker would hang with anyone, esp. on grass - why diminish the previous generation like that? As the kids say, kind of a weird flex," he wrote in response to a fan claiming Nick Kyrgios' comments on Sampras were immature.

Boris Becker questions Nick Kyrgios' 'credibility' after the Aussie downplays the ability of past greats

Nick Kyrgios was picked apart by Boris Becker on social media.

Boris Becker, meanwhile, voiced his opposition to Nick Kyrgios asserting that Djokovic would beat him convincingly if the two met on the court. The German suggested that the Aussie had no right to comment on past greats since he hadn't tasted Grand Slam title glory in singles yet.

"Nick Kyrgios makes a lot of noise about tennis lately!?! Why does he speak about a sport he apparently hates …fact-check Nick has never won a major championship as a player or coach (yes doubles 1) so where is any credibility coming from," the six-time Major winner wrote on his X handle.

The former World No. 1 proceeded to name some of the best players to ever ply their trade on the ATP tour, while also asserting that comparing different eras was a futile mental exercise.

"Trying to compare generations… Laver v Federer , Borg v Nadal , Sampras v Djokovic!?! I am not even gonna mention McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Agassi, Courier, Edberg, Wilander, Kuerten, Bruguera, Rafter, Hewitt, and many more. Speak to your @OnlyFans about many things but tennis," he further wrote.