Australian tennis legend Rod Laver believes Nick Kyrgios' "mouth and his antics have taken over" his game, and has questioned the 20-year-old's ability to fulfil his vast potential amid costly lapses in concentration.
US-based Laver was impressed with some of Kyrgios' typically audacious shot-making in his four-set loss to Andy Murray in the first round at Flushing Meadows, yet at other times noted "some things that weren't normal in the game of tennis".
With his Davis Cup teammate Lleyton Hewitt now playing a key advisory role while Kyrgios' team search for a full-time coach to replace Todd Larkham, Laver endorsed the former world no.1 as a potentially positive influence on the controversial Canberran.
"Lleyton shows the class that he is, and the consistency that he has, in his own game, and trying to impart some of that into Nick's game would be ideal, because he's a great asset that Australia has if we can get him turned around into playing his best game, because his best game can win a lot of matches, and he can be a champion in his own right," Laver said.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's tennis show from New York, the only player to have won the coveted grand slam twice said Kyrgios needed to set aside the distractions of the recent negative media coverage and simply play tennis.
"His mouth and his antics have taken over and, unfortunately, you can't get anywhere being this way - you've got to be able to concentrate on the match at hand," Laver said.
"And his ability to play points was unbelievable. I saw some unbelievable shots that were played last night against Murray, but doing that for a game or two isn't going to win you a match. So hopefully a coach of his, or a mentor, can get to him, and keep him applying [himself] all the way through the match."
