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Watch: Legends Pick Their Style Successors

Hall of Famers are impressed by the quality of today's tennis—and see themselves in some of today's pros.

Four Hall of Fame champions—Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and Mats Wilander—convened for Eurosport's Tennis Legends Podcast at the US Open last week.

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New York native McEnroe posed a question to the group: What current pro reminds you most of yourself?

Quick-footed counter puncher Wilander cited fellow former No. 1 Andy Murray as the player who most plays his style.

Lendl, who formerly coached Murray, said current world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the player he most identifies with these days.

"A combination of Novak and Rafa," Lendl says at 15:20 of the video. "(I was) a little more aggressive than Novak, hit it harder and obviously I don't move as well as he did.

"Bigger serve. I think the way for me the way to play (today) would be like Novak, don't give anything away, and when I see that green or even orange light, just let it go."

Becker, who previously coached Djokovic, and was regarded as the most dominant server and one of the most explosive players of his era, chose Nick Kyrgios as his stylistic successor.

"I think all our styles were very particular and I have a hard time thinking about: who would be most like me in his attitude," Becker says at 15:45 of the video.

"I look at you and I am thinking of Kyrgios," Lendl told Becker.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Becker said. "No, no honestly. I'm talking about how he sets up the point with the quick points, the serve and forehand, trying to keep the points short and everything. Getting the crowd involved, obviously keeping my mouth shut a lot longer than he does. But that mentality was similar to mine."

While both McEnroe and Lendl say Stefanos Tsitsipas remind them more of Becker than Kyrgios, Becker himself does not buy it.

"I don't see anybody else like that, the way I played, the way I felt on court... I feel (Tsitsipas) is not as explosive, not as dangerous, I find Nick, on a good night, dangerous. I find with Stefanos he could do a lot more with the serve and play bigger."

McEnroe most identifies with fellow left-hander Denis Shapovalov, whom he coached in Laver Cup.

"He brings a lot of excitement," McEnroe has said of Shapovalov. "He’s very quick, he’s not afraid. When I watch him with the one-handed backhand and the way he plays, it does remind me of myself."

Photo credit: Laver Cup Facebook

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