"Roger, Rafa, Novak, Serena, these athletes are so rare; they are just amazing" - Nick Kyrgios on Big-3 and Serena Williams

Nick Kyrgios has lauded the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams for their longevity and sustained brilliance over the years.

The combustible Australian said so after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas from a set down to reach the Halle Open quarterfinals. Kyrgios made the Stuttgart semifinals last week, losing to Andy Murray in straight sets.

Kyrgios reckons super athletes like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Williams and NBA legend LeBron James shouldn't be taken for granted. He said that they're rare athletes who are amazing.

"I mean, it is great. As long as these legends. ... I think humans always take athletes for granted. Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal), Novak (Djokovic), LeBron (James), Serena (Williams), like, these athletes are so rare. Like, they are just amazing," Kyrgios said.

The Australian added that the aforementioned legends of their respective sports are at the tail end of their illustrious careers and that fans should enjoy them as long as they're going strong.

"I think we should just - as long as they want to keep playing - we have just got to keep taking it in and enjoying that because the time is nearly up for all of these players," Kyrgios added.

Interestingly, Rafael Nadal consolidated his lead atop the all-time men's singles Grand Slam leaderboard by winning a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title - his 22nd Major. Meanwhile, 23-time women's singles Major winner Serena Williams is slated to make her much-awaited return to Wimbledon later this month.

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"It is amazing to see her playing again and playing the biggest tournament in the world - it is amazing" - Nick Kyrgios on Serena Williams' Wimbledon return

Nick Kyrgios (left) and Serena Williams

Meanwhile, the talk of the town has been of former World No. 1 Serena Williams' much sought-after return to competitive action.

The 40-year-old will return to action at Eastbourne ahead of her 21st main-draw appearance at Wimbledon. Williams has been away from the sport since last year's Championships after suffering an ankle injury. She plummeted outside the top 1200 of the WTA rankings, requiring a wildcard from the grasscourt Major to compete in this year's edition.

Like many others, Kyrgios was happy to see Williams back at Wimbledon, stating that it was also a great example for all other players to enter Wimbledon for the tournament and not the points.

"So it is amazing to see her (Serena Williams) playing again and playing the biggest tournament in the world - it is amazing. I think it is also, I will add, I think it is a great example that every player should try and play Wimbledon, rather than not play for the (lack of ranking) points."

Interestingly, this year's Championships won't have any ranking points. Following Russia's Ukraine invasion, Wimbledon decided to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing at this year's edition.

The ATP and the WTA responded to that by stripping this year's Championships of ranking points. Nevertheless, Kyrgios feels Williams competing at Wimbledon this year is a testament to the pedigree of the tournament.

"I think as a kid, you want to win Wimbledon, you want to play Wimbledon, everyone that follows tennis knows what Wimbledon is, and people that even do not follow tennis know what Wimbledon is. So I think that is a great example. Obviously, she is not worried about her ranking, I understand, but everyone should be playing Wimbledon, I think, if they can," he stated.

Serena Williams is chasing a record-equalling 24th Major title to move level with Margaret Court atop the all-time Grand Slam singles leaderboard - male or female. However, the 40-year-old hasn't won a Major since triumphing at the 2017 Australian Open.

Last year, she endured her maiden first-round defeat at the Championships, where she has won 98 of her 111 matches. A deep run this year would have seen her make a huge surge into the top echelons of the rankings. However, that won't be the case, as there won't be any ranking points on offer at Wimbledon this year.