Kyrgios unleashes on tennis icon over 'respect' call

Nick Kyrgios has continued to bite back at Boris Becker, labelling the polarising tennis icon as "ridiculous" in a series of social media posts.

The 28-year-old is currently sidelined due to numerous injury and fatigue issues which have ruled him out of the upcoming Australian Open and placed doubts over his future in the sport.

The feud between Kyrgios and Becker kicked off recently, with the Aussie star claiming the modern-day players would "destroy" their predecessors.

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Becker has since responded in an interview with EuroSport and claimed that Kyrgios lacked respect for the previous generation.

"It's simple, you have to respect the past of our sport, in addition to publicly thanking the former players … you must be grateful that they existed," he said.

But in trademark fashion, Kyrgios lashed out via X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning, pointing to the success he has garnered for the sport, both on and off the court.

"I've been arguably one of the most watched players outside the big three the last decade? [I have] fans around the world and have brought so many more people to the sport," he said. 

"I've created my own stuff off the court. I've been one of the few players that have brought million more fans to the sport and have made more money for everyone.

"Netflix … don't remember seeing Boris on there … [this] guy is ridiculous. I've made my career off the court without the help of the others."

Kyrgios also took a swipe at Becker's past legal troubles, which saw the German great jailed for allegedly hiding assets after declaring for bankruptcy. 

The controversial pair have had plenty of run-ins over the years, dating back as far as three years ago when Becker referred to Kyrgios as a 'rat' on social media.

The latest rebuttal from the Canberra native comes less than a month out from his home grand slam, which will see the likes of Alex de Minaur step into the limelight and fly the flag for the Aussies in Kyrgios' absence.