Nick Kyrgios is a tennis player like no other. He's the kind of athlete who can make you jump off your seat with his spectacular shots, but he can also make you scratch your head.
Despite his obvious talent, Kyrgios has frequently come under fire for his lack of focus and discipline, leaving many to wonder if he will ever reach the heights of his potential. Former tennis player turned tennis coach Brad Gilbert recently shared his opinions on Kyrgios.
The Australian is without a doubt one of the ATP Tour's most talented players. His groundstrokes are strong and precise, and his serve is one of the best in the game. He has a knack for coming up with shots that other players wouldn't even attempt and can shoot winners from anywhere on the court. But as Brad Gilbert pointed out on The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, talent alone is not enough to make it to the top.
"Obviously, the one player who maybe has the most talent that you wish that maybe there were some things that he could do a little bit differently is Kyrgios. But then again, maybe if he did have this, maybe it wouldn't work for him. You don't know."
Often, athletes mention that there is a very little different between the best and those that don't make it. Some claim, that their skillsets are very similar and at the end of the day, it all comes down to mental strength. Gilbert agrees with this.
"I do find that a lot of times now that everybody feels like the difference between No. 1 and 100 is just mental. I say if it was really that simple, everybody would be great. There is a lot of difference between 1 and 100 in skillset. But I do think that having kind of a good mental resolve, it kind of helps you be a little more resilient."