Pete Sampras would have defeated Novak Djokovic claims Arnaud Clement as he comments on the debate raised by Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios opined in a recent interview that Novak Djokovic would destroy players like Pete Sampras and Boris Becker in their prime.

Pete Sampras, Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic (Sources: Imago, Eurosport, Tennis365)
The ongoing feud between Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker is one of the most trending topics in the world of tennis currently. There is no doubt about the fact that the Australian tennis player has disrespected the former champions of the sport with his statement that started the feud, to begin with. Former French player Arnaud Clement gave his opinion about the controversy in a recent interview.
Nick Kyrgios had said that tennis legends of the past, like Boris Becker and Pete Sampras, wouldn’t stand a chance against players from the modern era. He said that in the past, the players were extremely slow and that Novak Djokovic would demolish them in their prime.

This was what started the entire debate. In response, Boris Becker tweeted that Nick Kyrgios needs to focus more on his game and also gave an interview in which he said that had it not been for the legends, players of this era would not have had a platform to earn so much money.
Arnaud Clement explained why it was unreasonable to compare eras in simple words. He said that the sport itself has evolved, and the circumstances under which Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic played tennis are very different.
For example, in Pete Sampras’s era, wooden rackets and gut strings were used instead of monofilaments. The ball would come out of the racket easily, but it was also very difficult to control.
Djokovic might have been better, but it's hard to assess. They are not the same trajectories, it is not the same ease of keeping the ball in the court. With gut, the ball comes out of the racket much more easily but is much more difficult to control. It's the latest material revolution, rope. Tennis has shifted to another dimension in terms of lifting, the margin for error is greater in terms of centering.He said via We Love Tennis
Nick Kyrgios mentions Boris Becker’s jail time in ongoing feud
Things are getting worse in the ongoing feud between Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker. What started as a debate on whether the players from the modern era are way better than the players from the past has now turned into an exchange of low blows.
Many fans think that the Australian took it too far by mentioning Boris Becker’s prison time while responding to a fan who was against his stand and pointed out that he had won no Grand Slams.

Hahahaha ONE WENT TO PRISON. ( ran out of money) the other is using his brand to make more. Goodnight.He wrote on Twitter, taking a dig at Boris Becker.
Boris Becker spent eight months in jail in the United Kingdom last year after being found guilty of hiding assets in a case related to bankruptcy. He was later deported to Germany and has a 10-year travel ban to the UK.
In case you missed it:
- Holger Rune adds more firepower to his coaching team as he signs Roger Federer’s former coach Severin Luthi alongside Boris Becker
- Felix Auger-Aliassime makes Toni Nadal’s status as his coach clear for the 2024 season after a long spell of absence of the Spaniard in his box