"We have another potato on the board": Nick Kyrgios-Boris Becker feud ignites response from Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Former world No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov stepped forward in support of Boris Becker amid the controversy involving the German and Nick Kyrgios. The ex-Russian tennis player criticized Kyrgios on social media for likening himself to Becker, considering he has never secured a Grand Slam title:

"Dude hasn't won a Grand Slam in singles and is comparing his influence on the game of tennis to one of the BEST legends in our sport, Boris Becker @TheBorisBecker?? What kind of weed is he smoking?" Kafelnikov expressed through his X (formerly Twitter) account.

The Australian responded sarcastically to Kafelnikov in a series of tweets: "Never ever said that he hasn’t impacted the game, champion. We have another potato on board. He said that if you haven’t won a slam there is no credibility???? RUBLEV??? lol you old heads are all the same," Kyrgios wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

"I’ll also make sure your sad ass tweet reaches more than 50 k people. Sad guy," Kyrgios added.

The controversy unfolded when Boris Becker, on the Eurosport Germany podcast 'Das Gelbe vom Ball,' called for respect for past tennis players such as Rod Laver, Lleyton Hewitt, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, etc. According to the current coach of Holger Rune, these legends from the past paved the way for the current generation, contributing significantly to the sport's popularity and commercial success: "All these players make it possible for Nick Kyrgios not to play tennis at all this year & still be able to make a living from tennis," he said.

In response, Kyrgios countered Becker's perspective, asserting that he is one of the players who has had a substantial impact on the current tennis tour and has built a brand around himself: "Bro, what 😂😂😂 I’ve been one of the FEW PLAYERS that have brought a million more fans to the sport and have made more money for everyone 😂 NETFLIX…. Don’t remember seeing Boris on there 😂 guy is ridiculous. I’ve made my career off the court without the help of the others."

“Not once have I taken ‘slams’ away from Becker, or any of these legends. Not once have I said I’ve impacted the game MORE. I’ve simply said that I’ve built my own brand and done it my way & brought fans. Apparently a slam finalist has no credibility. Night, done with this convo,” Kyrgios wrote.