Nick Kyrgios: John McEnroe wants to coach Aussie… reveals why he is keen on link-up
JOHN McENROE is keen on coaching Nick Kyrgios - because he thinks their personalities are the same.
John McEnroe wants to coach Nick Kyrgios
Bad-boy Kyrgios, 22, vowed not to have a coach earlier this year before then linking up with Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
He then went on to suffer a shock first round exit from the US Open last month.
But while Grosjean has invested a lot in with the Aussie, Kyrgios has struggled to make it work and said last month he’s “not good enough for him”.
If the pair split for good, there’s a potential back-up option in McEnroe, who had a similar on-the-court temperament to Kyrgios when he was a player.
The legend, who like Kyrgios was no stranger to on-court controversy, told Marca: "For me, I'd say Nick Kyrgios [as a player I’d like to train]. Then there's Alexander Zverev too, he's certain to be a No. 1.
Kyrgios snapped when asked at Queen's about the prospect of McEnroe coaching him, as he said: "He's dreaming."
Nick Kyrgios is renowned for his fiery on-court nature
“I enjoyed training Milos [Raonic] but I identify more with the new Canadian [Denis Shapovalov]. He has a style and personality that's similar to mine.
Asked if tennis needs more people with the character of Kyrgios, McEnroe said: “I always thought so. People love Nadal, not only for his ability but everything he gives and conveys on the track.
“I love his quality. It is like me when I faced Jimmy Connors, as I knew I had to give more when I faced him."
Kyrgios bowed out in the first round of the US Open - before delivering an extraordinary post-match media conference.
Asked about his future with Grosjean, Kyrgios said: “I don’t know, honestly. I’m not good enough for him.
John McEnroe worked with Nick Kyrgios at the Laver Cup
“He’s very dedicated. He’s an unbelievable coach. He probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves a better athlete than me.
“I’m not dedicated to the game at all.
“He’s helped me a lot, especially with the training, in training sessions, but there are players out there that are more dedicated, that want to get better, that strive to get better every day, [do the] the one-percenters. I’m not that guy.”