"Prime Pete Sampras would give Prime Novak Djokovic fits" - Tennis fans baffled by Nick Kyrgios claiming the Serb would 'destroy' the American

Nick Kyrgios has courted the ire of tennis fans by suggesting that Novak Djokovic would wipe the floor with Pete Sampras in the modern era.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Kyrgios discussed the evolution of tennis, particularly highlighting the increase in serve speeds. He argued that past legends such as Boris Becker would struggle to excel in today's game due to this shift in the sport's dynamics.

"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 (km per hour — about 122mph). People like me, we serve 220 consistently, to corners. It’s a whole different ball game," he said.

Kyrgios contended that the serve and volley style of play demanded faster serve speeds to succeed in the modern era, citing Lleyton Hewitt's dominant win over Pete Sampras in the 2001 US Open as an example. The 28-year-old stated that, based on the precedent set by Hewitt's win, Djokovic would completely "destroy" the 14-time Grand Slam champion.

"I’m not saying they wouldn’t have found their way. But serve and volley, to do it all the time now, you need to be serving 220, because if you serve anything less than 220, bro, Djokovic eats you alive. He eats you alive. Bro, Lleyton Hewitt destroyed Sampras one year at the U.S. Open. That was the first prototype of someone who could return serve," he said.

"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," he added.

Kyrgios' remarks did not sit well with tennis fans. One fan disputed the Aussie's claims by bringing up Sampras' "awesome" second serve, emphasizing that a clash between Djokovic and the American on grass or a fast hard court would not be as one-sided as implied.

"Put Djokovic and Sampras on a fast hard court or a grass court, and that would not be a clean up. Let’s not forget about how awesome Sampras’s second serve was," the fan posted.

Another fan pointed to Sampras' winning record against the "second greatest returner of all time," Andre Agassi, as evidence that he would pose a similarly formidable challenge to the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

"Dumb Kyrgios forgets that Sampras also had a great ground game and and-1 game. Serve alone can't get you 14 slams lol. He faced the 2nd greatest serve returner of all time in Agassi, and won most of the time. Prime Sampras would give prime Novak fits, esp on 90s grass," the fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Comment byu/TennisMathematician from discussion intennis

Comment byu/TennisMathematician from discussion intennis

Comment byu/TennisMathematician from discussion intennis

---

Novak Djokovic set for a title defense at Australian Open 2024, Nick Kyrgios pulls out for second year in a row

The Serb and Nick Kyrgios

Novak Djokovic made a triumphant return at the Australian Open this season. He beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to clinch his record 10th title at the Melbourne Slam. The Serb will commence his quest for a record-extending 25th Major title at next year's event.

Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, was forced to pull out of his home Slam for the second year in a row. He missed this year's edition of the event due to a knee injury, for which he later underwent surgery.

The 28-year-old recently announced his withdrawal from next year's event as well, citing lingering issues from the wrist injury he sustained during his comeback in June. The 2024 Australian Open is scheduled to take place from January 14-28.