Petulant Kyrgios has to get his act together before it’s too late

IT was sad to witness Nick Kyrgios’s mental capitulation against Andy Murray.

The Australian could be a Grand Slam winner but it won’t happen unless he changes his entire approach.

He has breathtaking skills, and is possibly one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen.

But 75% of the game is in the mind, and in that area Kyrgios is not anywhere near the top 100.

He is like a kid in a candy store, and wants to stuff himself full of goodies. The trouble is a simple diet is the best way to win at the top level.

You don’t want to take away the flair, but percentage play has to balance up the bag of tricks.

Right now, Kyrgios is just a showboater who is never going to win anything that matters.

He has to involve himself with someone he really respects, and then he has to listen hard and soak up the wisdom.

An hour before his match against Murray, Kyrgios was on an outside court watching Lleyton Hewitt play doubles. That kind of sums up the whole situation.

That was not a sensible way to prepare for the biggest match of your life. Kyrgios should have been in the locker room mentally rehearsing, getting himself ready to play.

But if there is one player who epitomises everything that Kyrgios is not, it’s Lleyton Hewitt.

In his prime, he was second to none as a competitor, and never knew when he was beaten.

He gave everything he had – and more.

Kyrgios, take note.