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Tennis great John McEnroe recently discussed controversial Aussie Nick Kyrgios and claimed that he is the player that the American is currently most compared to.
McEnroe is a former World No. 1 who has won the US Open four times and Wimbledon on three occasions. The American was also known to be a fiery personality, with several outbursts and arguments with umpires and tournament officials along with aggressive conduct (smashing racquets, throwing bottles) on the court.
Nicknamed "Superbrat," McEnroe's outburst at Wimbledon in 1981 after his ace was wrongly called "wide" in the championship match (that he subsequently won) was voted the most memorable moment in the tournament's history.
The American recently sat down for an interview with Sunrise after the release of his biopic, 'McEnroe,' back in September. When Nick Kyrgios' name was mentioned in the interview, McEnroe noted that Kyrgios is the player to whom he is currently compared given their similar on-court antics.
He continued by saying that if the Australian stays devoted for the upcoming two years, he has the ability to do something "really good" in tennis.
"He (Nick Kyrgios) is the guy that I'm most compared to, and he's the guy that, right now, if he is committed for the next couple of years, could do some really good things in tennis," McEnroe said.
"I want to, in a way, nurture Nick Kyrgios like one of my own kids"- John McEnroe
The seven-time Grand Slam champion continued by saying Kyrgios is good for the sport since he attracts a lot of new followers.
"To that with Nick, he's moving the needle, and there's a lot of new fans coming into the sport because of him, so that's a real positive thing, McEnroe said, adding, "And he's electrifying in a way, I'd like to think. Some of that I brought to the game when I came into it. We all have fear of failure, and we try to deal with it the best way we can. The best way that I believe you can is to go out and do your job to the best of your ability. Every time you do it, it's tough to do."
The American further added that Nick Kyrgios has frequently struggled to give his all on the court because of his anxiety and dread of being judged by particular people.
"Nick's had a problem with that too often, he's veered off because of his anxiety and his fear that if he goes out and gives his best, it's not good enough against certain people that that makes him a bad person. And I dealt with this on my own," the American said.
According to McEnroe, he wants to "nurture" Kyrgios somewhat like one of his own children and ensure that he lives up to his potential in the days to come.
"So this would be an example of the pot calling the kettle black. Obviously, I was embroiled in all types of things myself, so who am I to say what he should do? I do it more as someone who sees him as someone who's really good for the game and want to, in a way, nurture him like one of my own kids, in a way," he added.
