By Chris Oddo | Sunday July 4, 2016
Nick Kyrgios was left to ponder a less than energizing effort against Andy Murray late on Monday at Wimbledon.
Photo Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty
Sharp wit and athletic ease will only take Nick Kyrgios so far. The 21-year-old Aussie learned that the hard way yet again on Wimbledon’s manic Monday as he was bounced from the draw by Andy Murray and found himself searching for answers, both during the match and afterwards when he was adrift in a sea of brusque reporters.
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It’s not the first time the talented yet mercurial Kyrgios has sparked doubt about his commitment by playing without discipline, passion and poise.
And it’s not the first time reporters have been on his case. Comes with the territory.
“As soon as I lost the first set, I just lost belief,” Kyrgios explained. “Obviously felt like a mountain to climb after losing the first.”
Criticize Kyrgios for a scatter-brained effort, but don’t fault him for refusing to acknowledge his own shortcomings. “Just a little soft still,” he said of his effort against Murray. “I think when things get tough, I'm just a little bit soft. I mean, I've got experience, but it ultimately comes down to just laying it all out there and competing for a long time. I didn't do that today at all.”
In this case it’s not a question of if, but why? Making his first appearance on Wimbledon’s Centre Court since the gargantuan upset of Rafael Nadal that launched his career in 2014, Kyrgios was considered a viable threat to Murray. Just yesterday the Aussie himself had stated that he believed he could be the player standing with the Challenge Cup in his arms this Sunday at Wimbledon. But that belief didn’t last very long on Monday. Kyrgios didn’t just lose the script—he crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.
Before competing on Monday, Kyrgios was shown on television sitting in the stands watching his mate Lleyton Hewitt’s doubles match. While commentating for the BBC, John McEnroe criticized Kyrgios for this and for what he perceived to be an “80 percent” effort. “He’s not even on the court mentally. He’s snapped,” McEnroe said, according to the UK Guardian. “It looks like Kyrgios doesn’t really want to be out there.”
Asked point blank if he felt he was putting everything he had into his tennis, Kyrgios flatly replied, “No.”
At this point it’s hard to tell if Kyrgios feels guilty about that answer or if he’d rather go through life in a perpetual state of nihilism, not caring, proudly.
To be fair, Kyrgios was getting badgered by reporters as his press conference wore on, and he really had no interest in being there. Someday maybe he’ll realize that even these mundane tasks are part of the job, part of the tone that great athletes set. Everything, even the externals, tie into the one big picture. Respect the game, respect yourself, respect the media, respect the fans. It’s not like Kyrgios hasn’t made strides, or that he hasn’t proven himself to be one of the most talented, promising players to come along in the last decade. That’s all been made clear. But what hasn’t been made clear is how willing he is to make the sacrifices that will get him to the next level.
The media wants it. The public wants it. But Kyrgios doesn’t seem to—at least not yet. It's probably the reason why he hasn't hired a coach yet.
Clearly he could use one.
“To be honest, I woke up this morning and played computer games,” he said as the badgering wore on. “Is that the greatest preparation? I don't know. But it was fun.”
Murray gave his thoughts on Kyrgios’ struggles moments later. “It's about, you know, finding the right people to help you with different things,” he said. “For some it may be a coach. For some it might be a psychologist. Sometimes it might be speaking to family about stuff. You know, there's not one way of tackling it. But if you want to continue to get better, then you speak and listen to, you know, as many people as you can, and take onboard the things you think will help you.”
That’s all well and good in theory, but the reality is that the decision to commit to a plan of talent maximization has to come from within the heart of Kyrgios. He’s not quite ready to do that but the sting of tonight’s loss to Murray could be a facilitator.
“It's not a bad loss,” Kyrgios said. “You know, my record here is 10 3, I think. Every time I come here, I lose to good players. But it's just disappointing. I don't know. I just want to do better.”