Tennis legend Boris Becker asked the men’s next-gen talent to stop hiding behind the ‘big three’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and start winning Grand Slams.
In an incredible period of domination, the trio of Federer (20), Nadal (19) and Djokovic (17) have dominated the last decade. Only Juan Martin Del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray and Marin Cilic have managed to claim a major title outside the ‘big three’.
Becker believes the young guns have the talent to outgun the legendary trio and pointed out the Australian Open final, where Dominic Thiem engaged Djokovic in a gruelling five-setter.
“We want the younger generation to pick up the pieces and it’s happening; it’s a process. Dominic Thiem pushed Novak Djokovic to five sets in Australia,” Becker said while interacting with the Indian media on the sidelines of the Laureus Awards.
“There are a few talented players out there but the top-three are still good. It’s easy to hide behind Federer, Nadal and Djokovic because they are so good that nobody is going to criticise you for losing to them.
“That’s something you can take as an excuse sometimes. It’s time somebody tells the younger players to start winning the majors because they are good enough. But it all starts with the right attitude and the right mindset.”
The 52-year-old had coached Djokovic for three years before parting ways in December 2016. Talking about his short-stint with Djokovic, Becker said: “I don’t want to spill all the beans but he is very professional. He is very careful about how he leads his life, what he eats. He’s into yoga to improve his concentration levels. It’s important for him.
“Physically, he is a unique player and it does not happen overnight. You have to work for it. And what is fascinating for me is that he is still very hungry. He has won so much but wants more.”
Becker leaned towards Federer when asked who the greatest is. “If you ask about the numbers, Roger Federer is the most successful player. But you can’t always compare the players with the numbers,” said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
“If you ask about the best of all time, it’s difficult because tennis was played in the 70s, 80s and 90s on different surfaces, so you can’t always compare with numbers how good a player was.”
Women’s tennis is ‘unpredictable’
Becker observed that women’s tennis is “very unpredictable” because of a wider pool of winners. “Sofia Kenin won in Australia. A year ago, everybody was talking about Naomi Osaka.”
American 15-year-old phenomenon Coco Gauff has made an impression by getting the better of veteran Venus Williams and Osaka. But Becker feels Gauff has a long way to go.
“Now people talk a lot about Coco Gauff and I think it’s a mistake because she is still very young. She still has to learn a lot to be better. She is still a child. We get sidetracked sometimes looking at a story and not at the performance,” he said.
“Serena [Williams] coming back after becoming a mother is a big story. She did reach a couple of Grand Slam finals so she is one match away from her 24th major.”