Becker: "The theme of friendship between rivals evolved with Federer and Nadal"

While the greatest current rivalry in men's tennis is between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Boris Becker has spoken out about the relationships that rivals can have in tennis.

For the Gazzetta Dello Sport, he explained: "In our day, we weren't friends. It didn't really exist. Imagine me being friends with McEnroe or Lendl... impossible. I got along well with Stefan Edberg, I respected him a lot, but it wasn't like it is today.

In my opinion, the theme of friendship between rivals evolved with Federer and Nadal. They transformed the way two great adversaries behave towards each other, and that's a good thing: an excellent example for the young.

I think it's wonderful that Sinner and Alcaraz have this complicity off the court: you can feel a great mutual respect, they appreciate each other, they have no problem collaborating. Yet, on the court, they are fierce rivals. It's a positive model for the new generation."