"He is Agassi 2.0, there is a magnetism and a certain charisma about him" - John Morris compares Nick Kyrgios to Andre Agassi ahead of his Wimbledon title clash

John Morris, who discovered teenager Nick Kyrgios, said the Australian's bad-boy image was only a defense mechanism for him against the shafts of fame. He also made an analogy between the 27-year-old and tennis legend Andre Agassi.

Nick Kyrgios is having a fairytale run at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The Australian was set to play Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, but Nadal's forced withdrawal due to injury granted him a free entry into Sunday's championship match.

In the final clash, he will be up against Novak Djokovic, against whom he holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage. Furthermore, Kyrgios has the chance to become one of Wimbledon's most controversial champions on Sunday if he outlasts the Serb.

In light of this, John Morris, his former agent and mentor, spoke in-depth about the Australian in an interview with The Age. He noted that Kyrgios has a "certain charisma" and compared him to his favorite player, Andre Agassi.

"My favourite athlete of all time, without question, is Andre Agassi. We always used to say Nick is Agassi 2.0," Morris said. "And yes, there were things that were unsavoury which I didn't like but there's a magnetism to him and a certain charisma about him. There is this magic dust that you just don't want to touch. Just leave it be. Just let it be because it's bloody special."

"He is fine playing the role of the villain, but it's a protection tool"- John Morris on Nick Kyrgios' bad boy image

Day 10: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

Morris, like everyone else, is aware of Nick Kyrgios' controversial side. Given this, he asserted that Kyrgios' frequent portrayals of arrogance and swagger are merely masks, and underneath that, the sweet kid he first met still exists.

"He became a caricature of this bad boy image and he played up to it a little bit, but It wasn't really him," Morris said. "And then you go down a path and, eventually, he just assumes the role. Even this week, he is fine playing the role of the villain. It is literally that - it's a role. In many ways it is a stage persona, but it's a protection tool."

Morris also labeled the 27-year-old as a "sweet, genuine and sensitive person."

"If he's being short, with his walls up, in his mind he can't get hurt," Morris said. "He's thinking, 'If I don't let conversations go on or if I don't let you in, then I can't get hurt'. I get it. But it's a protection tool. The Nick Kyrgios I knew was a really sweet, genuine, sensitive person."