“Don’t think Andre or Pete would hang out together” : Boris Becker ‘stunned’ after viral photo of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner spending time together before US Open
The world no.1 and 2 in tennis were spotted together in New York having a nice time together ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year. Social media reacted surprisingly well to the rivals’ latest happenings, as they were spotted playing a fun game with stickers and pickleball rackets.
The relationship between the youngster and veteran has always been competitive yet very professional, with the Serbian admiring the Italian’s grit, talent and most of all potential, while in turn Sinner expressed how playing against Djokovic has made him a better player and has also admired him for his longevity numerous times.
However, amidst the sea of positive reactions, former world no.1 tennis player Boris Becker also admired the picture, but also sneaked in a clever little comparison as to how times were different back when he was a player.
“Different strokes for different folks” : Boris Becker on how things were different during his playing career
The German has remained to be one of the most iconic figures in tennis, rising into stardom when he won the 1985 Wimbledon at the age of just 17. The six-time Grand Slam champion was also Novak Djokovic’s coach for three years. Becker reacted to the viral photo and brought out some clear differences which time has set apart in the world of tennis.
“Nice picture! Imagine in my days hanging out with John, Ivan or Jimmy …impossible! Maybe with Stefan, Mats !? Don’t think Andre or Pete would hang out together ( with me ) few days before the Open starts !!! Different strokes for different folks !” said Boris Becker via X (formerly known as Twitter).
Boris Becker revealed that he and others in his era would have never hung out with their rivals together, let alone days before a Grand Slam tournament. While some people agreed on the fact that tennis has gone ‘soft’, others understood what the German was trying to state and that he would have loved to be this close to his competition back in his days of playing.
While enjoying each other’s company now, the top 2 players in the world will soon be in their competitive spirit with both eyeing the US Open major. The Italian will be coming off his most recent victory in the Cincinnati Open, while the 37-year-old will be fresh off his moment of glory in the Olympics. If pit against each other in the later stages of the tournament, we can hope for a classic to be played in NYC.
