Andre Agassi once described how John McEnroe and Boris Becker behaved behind the scenes in the locker room

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lead the way for men’s Grand Slam titles, but the likes of Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Boris Becker aren’t far behind.

Agassi will take over from McEnroe as Team World captain at the Laver Cup, with the next edition taking place in San Francisco next year.

McEnroe thinks the players will love Agassi at the Laver Cup, with the former having stepped down from his role alongside Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg.

Agassi won a superb eight Grand Slam singles titles throughout his career, one ahead of McEnroe and two ahead of Becker.

But the trio certainly don’t compare to the feats accomplished by the so-called Big Three, with Djokovic out in front with 24.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup

How Andre Agassi once described John McEnroe and Boris Becker in the locker room

Nadal and Federer are second and third respectively, with Grand Slam title tallies of 22 and 20 respectively.

Elegance and electricity have, however, been common from them all over the years, although they have undoubtedly all acted differently behind the scenes.

Fortunately, Agassi was on hand to reveal the behaviours of some of his rivals when speaking to reporters at the 1998 US Open.

Asked about Goran Ivanisevic’s personality, Agassi replied: “You know, I haven’t had the luxury of going out with Goran or spending time away from the courts.

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“One of the things that I’ve always admired about him is just what a gentleman and what a sweet person he is every single day.

“He’s up and down on the court, you’ve seen throughout his career. But one of the things that amazes me more than anything, than the personalities on the court, how they are off the court.

“[Ivan] Lendl would sit around the locker room completely naked with just his shoes on telling jokes all day in the locker room.

“Couldn’t figure out why he’d want to do that. But that’s how he liked to spend his time in there. McEnroe, on the other hand, you could never p*ss him off off the court, it was impossible.

Photo credit should read TIM ROBERTS/AFP via Getty Images

“Goran, who is up and down throughout his career on the court, is one of the most consistent human beings I’ve seen, just always nice, always pleasant, always smiling, always saying hello.”

Then asked for his take on Becker in the locker room, Agassi responded: “Boris tended to clear a little space.

“I mean, if he went to one side of the room, it was just him and his guys, very quiet. He cleared space. He didn’t seem to have much interaction in the locker room at all.”

What Nick Kyrgios plans to do in the locker room with Jannik Sinner

Every player will undoubtedly have their own pre-match rituals, which may or may not involve interacting with opponents.

There will certainly be mutual respect among the very best, although the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz may already be getting fed up with facing each other given their superb success in their brief careers so far.

READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios now confirms the reason why he did not interview Jannik Sinner on court at the US Open

Incidentally, the Italian could be treated differently in 2025 amid his ongoing drug case, with Nick Kyrgios not planning on being ‘as hospitable’ to Sinner in the locker room compared to previous meetings should they meet in the near future.

The margins between success and failure have become so minor in the modern game that locker room preparation can make a huge difference, with issues such as nerves needing to be dealt with properly before stepping out onto the court.

Titles Player Amateur Era Open Era Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open Years 24 Novak Djokovic N/A 24 10 3 7 4 2008–2023 22 Rafael Nadal N/A 22 2 14 2 4 2005–2022 20 Roger Federer N/A 20 6 1 8 5 2003–2018 14 Pete Sampras N/A 14 2 0 7 5 1990–2002 12 Roy Emerson 12 N/A 6 2 2 2 1961–1967 11 Rod Laver 6 5 3 2 4 2 1960–1969 Bjorn Borg N/A 11 0 6 5 0 1974–1981 Men’s all-time Grand Slam titles leaderboard

Team competitions such as the recent World Tennis League and exhibitions like those of Carlos Alcaraz in America earlier this month do, of course, allow for more camaraderie in the locker room.

But the top players across the ATP and WTA tours will soon be reverting back to game mode as they prepare for the 2025 Australian Open.

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