Nick Kyrgios is one of the most talented players in world tennis.
He is just 21, and already has a career that includes a Wimbledon quarter-final appearance in 2014 after defeating Rafa Nadal and Richard Gasquet aged 19. He followed that up with a quarter-final spot at the 2015 Australian Open. In 2016 he has defeated many top players, including Andy Murray and Roger Federer.
As a schoolboy, the six-foot-four Kyrgios was a promising tennis player and a promising basketballer as well. He divided his idols among both sports with players like Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in tennis and LeBron James and Michael Jordan in basketball.
However at 14 he decided to take up tennis full time and soon made his mark.
Kyrgios started 2013 with a ranking of 838 and soon broke into the top 200. In 2014 he not only broke into top 100 but ended the year at 52. In 2015 his progress continued with a second Grand Slam quarter-final. In 2016 he broke into top 20 for the first time to be the youngest player in seven years since Marion Cilic to do so.
With all that in mind, the performance of Kyrgios at Wimbledon 2016 was highly anticipated. When he progressed to a clash with Murraym, it was expected he would give the Scotsman a tough fight. However what happened was totally exasperating to experts and fans alike
Kyrgios started in a breathtaking manner and it seemed as if Murray may suffer an early exit. However, the experienced player held his ground and suddenly Kyrgios imploded. It was a disappointing straight-sets loss. The response to Kyrgios’s performance wasn’t great.
“What’s he giving, 80 per cent?” John McEnroe scoffed. “I’m hoping he sees the writing on the wall before this becomes chronic, irreparable. Because it’s getting to that point.”
“You’re testing our patience, mate,” wrote Shane Warne.
Both Warne and McEnroe, and many others, thought the supremely talented Kyrgios is not doing justice to his talent and throwing in the towell when the going gets tough.
What did he do on the morning of his match against Andy Murray? He played video games.
What did he do after the loss? He was in a renowned night club.
Shouldn’t he have been disappointed after the straight sets loss? Well, he may have been, but that didn’t stop him partying.
“I don’t love this sport, but I don’t know what to do without it,” Kyrgios admitted after the Murray match.
All this suggests Kyrgios is a supremely talented individual who needs a coach to channel his awesome talent.
Let’s see which top players he has defeated already: Rafa Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic (three times now), Stan Wawrinka, Thomas Berdych, Marion Cilic, Murray and Federer, and he’s yet to play Novak Djokovic. In fact, this year Kyrgios has the second-best record versus top players after Djokovic.
This is indicative that Kyrgious is a player to watch out for, yet he has not done what was expected. This despite boasting a booming serve, fearsome backhand and good skills at the net.
However one thing is lacking: temperament. For that, he needs a coach.
Kyrgios just has to see what difference a coach like Boris Becker has made to Djokovic, Ivan Lendl to Murray, McEnroe and Carlos Moya to Raonic and even Stefan Edberg to Federer.
Yet Kyrgios himself says he likes not having a coach as that gives him freedom of what to do. However he has to realise that it is not enough. He has all the talent. It’s just a question of putting it all together.
He’s done it once, when he defeated Gasquet, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic, all in straight sets, en route to a tournament win without having his serve broken. That is possible in a Grand Slam too, and a magical fortnight is what all of his fans and, most importantly, he himself, would like to see.
Nick Kyrgios, please get a coach, and soon. You are too good a player not to end up as a Grand Slam champion, and who knows, maybe you can be a multiple Grand Slam Champion.
Forget Wimbledon as a bad dream and come back strong at the US Open with a top coach to guide you and unleash your potential.
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