Boris Becker harshly called out eight players by name as the German tennis icon believes some are “content” with just making the deeper stages of Grand Slams and not bothering themselves much with the fact that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are splitting the main prizes between them.
At the Australian Open, Sinner routed Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final. The remaining three Grand Slams featured a Sinner and Alcaraz final. Since the start of 2024, eight Majors have taken place and the Italian and the Spaniard have split victories between them.
Outside of Alcaraz and Sinner, 38-year-old Novak Djokovic has been the most consistent player at the Slam level – he reached the semifinal in all four Majors this year but didn’t have an answer for the two top-ranked players in the game.
Sharing his thoughts on what has been happening on the Grand Slam scene for the past two years, Becker very directly stated that players such as Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and some others need to step up.
Becker: The rest are content with the second or third role
“The statistic for Djokovic against Fritz is 11-0. Not for the American. What kind of gap is there, sportingly speaking? How good or not good are the others? I’m talking about everyone else. It’s an incredible statistic with the eighth consecutive Grand Slam victory for either Alcaraz or Sinner. But where the hell are the rest? We’re talking about Zverev, Draper, Fritz, de Minaur, Ruud, Rune, Medvedev, Rublev,” the former six-time Major winner said on the Becker-Petkovic podcast.
“Something about the rest, that they’re content with the second or third role. ‘Quarterfinals are okay, semifinals are okay.’ No, it’s not okay if you want to become the best tennis player in the world.”
The last player to win a Grand Slam besides Alcaraz and Sinner was Djokovic, at the 2023 US Open. Those three are the only current top-10 members with a Slam win.
🔴 “Betrayed by His Own Blood: Father of Utah Gunman Helped Expose Son Who Assassinated Activist Charlie Kirk”
Authorities have revealed that the suspected assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was turned in by his own father.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, of Washington County, Utah, was arrested at 10 p.m. on September 11—33 hours after Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that Robinson’s father recognized his son in surveillance footage released by investigators. He urged him to surrender and then contacted a family friend, a young pastor, who ultimately alerted police.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at a September 12 press conference, praised the family’s courage, saying they “did the right thing.” Robinson, who reportedly became increasingly political in recent years, had expressed disdain for Kirk at family dinners, describing him as “hateful” and “spreading hate.”
Robinson now faces charges of aggravated murder, discharging a firearm causing serious injury, and obstruction of justice. A Utah judge has ordered him held without bail at Utah County Jail. Court records show he has no prior criminal history.
Security footage showed the gunman climbing onto the roof of a building across from the venue, opening fire, then leaping down and fleeing into a nearby neighborhood. Investigators later recovered the rifle believed to be the murder weapon, along with chilling evidence: bullets etched with messages. One shell casing was engraved with lyrics from the Italian protest song “Bella Ciao,” while an unfired round carried the words “Take this, fascist!”
Discord messages obtained from Robinson’s roommate revealed discussions about retrieving a hidden rifle, stashing it in the bushes, and wrapping it in a cloth. He also mentioned an engraved scope.
Despite the violent nature of the crime, Governor Cox said investigators currently believe Robinson acted alone, though the probe is ongoing.
Kirk, 31, was widely recognized as a rising star in the conservative movement and a close ally of former President Donald Trump. Trump, speaking at the 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Pentagon, called Kirk “a legend” and announced he would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
