Legendary tennis player Jimmy Connors compared Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios in his podcast, Advantage Connors. He believes the former became incredibly successful because he did not let himself get distracted by other things, unlike the latter. The American said Djokovic does not want to play basketball, in perhaps a dig at Kyrgios’ much-publicized love for the sport.
Connors elaborated upon Kyrgios’ struggles to meet expectations and fulfil his potential. The Australian is regarded as one of the most talented players but has never been able to excel and do justice to his capabilities. Connors touched upon this but clarified that he was not criticizing him, praising Djokovic in the process.
Jimmy Connors believes Nick Kyrgios is not focused like Novak Djokovic
In his podcast, Jimmy Connors talked about Romanian Ilie Nastase before segueing into discussing Nick Kyrgios. He said Nastase had immense talent but could not let go of his bad habits. He said Kyrgios is in a similar situation and also has a great amount of talent. The former World No.1 believed it would be incredible for tennis if the Aussie could utilise his talents for his benefit.
Connors then compared Kyrgios’ career to Novak Djokovic. He praised the latter, holding him as a standard for playing one’s best tennis. The American said he did not let anything distract him.
“If you want to be the best, like Novak Djokovic, nothing can get in your way.”
Kyrgios has previously spoken about his love for basketball, mentioning it was the sport he wanted to take up instead of tennis. He remains a massive NBA and basketball fan to date while admitting he does not enjoy tennis as much. This irked Connors, who took a jab at the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles winner, saying Djokovic became the best by focusing on tennis and not wishing to play Basketball. He accused Kyrgios of getting distracted by multiple things.
“He (Djokovic) doesn’t want to play basketball, he really focuses on tennis and winning. Nick also lets his mind wander to other things as well.”
Connors agreed that Kyrgios may be satisfied with what he has achieved so far. He clarified that he is not attacking the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, but seeking to shed light on his potential and where he could stand in world tennis.
“Maybe you are satisfied with your success and what you have done with your talent, everything you have achieved so far. I’m not criticizing, I’m just bringing the conversation to what his abilities are and where he thinks he should be and could be.”
Kyrgios has occasionally shown flashes of his potential. He played great tennis to reach the 2022 Wimbledon final and made it to the final. Here, though, he ran into a marauding Djokovic who won 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6.
When Kyrgios tries…
The 2022 Wimbledon remains the only time Kyrgios has gone beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. With a career-high rank of No.13 in 2016, aged just 21, he was pegged for great things. However, the mercurial Aussie instead developed into the go-to example for squandered talent.
Riddled with behavior and discipline issues, including what copped him one of the biggest fines in tennis, he is currently unranked in the ATP system. He has been frequently criticized for not working hard to realize his full potential and perform as per his talent.
Former players like John McEnroe, Brad Gilbert, and Greg Rusedski have suggested that Kyrgios is one of the most talented tennis players of this generation. Boris Becker said that he can win Wimbledon (via tennis365). These are only a few names to have voiced belief in Kyrgios’ potential. However, he continues to be a frustrating enigma, holding on to the ‘bad boy’ and ‘wasted talent’ tags.
