McEnroe challenges Kyrgios to quit tennis

tacou

tacou

G.O.A.T.
Simon_the_furry

Simon_the_furry

Hall of Fame
tennisaddict

tennisaddict

Bionic Poster
As much as John McEnroe talks crap, he is entitled here to make these comments here as an analyst. He said the injury is perhaps a result of not practicing correctly and not planning schedules properly, which incidentally Nick alluded to as well.

John also added that there were lesser players who are more committed who would like the opportunity to put in the hard work to move up. I think it was fair , though critical.
 
Roddick85

Roddick85

Hall of Fame
Gotta side with JMac on that one. Kyrgios conditionning is poor because he doesn't train enough hence why he's always injured. It's kinda sad because Kyrgios has so much potential, but his **** poor attitude means he will probably never amount to anything greater than what he is right now. With the right coach, serious training and proper attitude, he'd be a real threat instead of a top 20-30 player who retires every now and then.
 
skip1969

skip1969

G.O.A.T.
i don't fancy kyrgios AT ALL, but like i said in the men's match thread, i don't question anybody's decision to retire. they don't need to justify anything to me. if you're hurt, retire. it's your body and your career (and your future health) involved, not anyone else's.

john mcenroe knows absolutely NOTHING about the circumstances that led to kyrgios getting hurt last night. NOTHING. whatever he thinks led up to it is just his personal opinion, pure conjecture. he's not even a friggin' doctor or a trainer! he doesn't even know the particulars of the injury itself. for him to even hypothesize about it is kindof irresponsible, or at least ridiculous. i mean, he's getting paid to give his opinion . . . i get that. but when you don't know the facts, you should probably keep your mouth shut . . . or at least give a player the benefit of the doubt. he did neither.

of course he didn't. because he thinks that he's some guardian of the sport and his opinions are needed, wanted, and cherished.

"Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar." - Edward R. Murrow
 
hobl4

hobl4

Rookie
tacou said:
Tell us how you really feel.

But his latest attack was particularly harsh, given Kyrgios’s obvious injury concerns. “Nick Kyrgios, if you don’t want to be a professional tennis player, do something else,” McEnroe said. “He’s hurt because he’s not training enough.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...bid-in-third-round-clash-with-illya-marchenko
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McEnroe's got a point. Kyrgios has even admitted himself that he isn't putting enough effort into gym training. No wonder his hips are exploding.
 
tacou

tacou

G.O.A.T.
I didn't see the match so I can't comment on Nick's injury. That said, I think John is the first person, at least on ESPN, to openly call out Nick's almost pride in not enjoying tennis.
"If you don't like tennis, quit." I wish more people would express this concept when it comes to Kyrgios.
 
NuBas

NuBas

Legend
These people are so desperate for the next great young tennis player, they are unnecessarily putting it on Kyrgios.
 
Russeljones

Russeljones

Talk Tennis Guru
Something wrong with the following:
"Kyrgios lit up Arthur Ashe Stadium when he ran down a drop shot and conjured an incredible around-the-net-post backhand winner in the fifth game of the third set. But the over exertion may well have inflamed his injury, with a clearly lame Kyrgios managing to win just six more games and dropping serve four times before stopping."
 
Terenigma

Terenigma

G.O.A.T.
Oh look, McEnroe saying something in public that everyone else in the tennis world has been saying for weeks, maybe even months. He's so refreshing and current with his views. Oh wait... no he's not. His views flip flop more than the shoe.

Remember during wimbledon? He was all hype about Kyrgios and saying he can settle down and become a future grand slam winner. At the time, i was anoyed he said that because he was coaching Raonic and should of been hyping up him but on the flip side, i figured when the Raonic partnership ended (as it was obviously going to) that he might of put himself in a good spot to be a genuine coach to Kyrgios. Now he says this? Jesus, he cant commit to anything can he? Its no wonder noone wants him as a coach and he's barely a relevant commentator anymore.
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
tacou said:
I didn't see the match so I can't comment on Nick's injury. That said, I think John is the first person, at least on ESPN, to openly call out Nick's almost pride in not enjoying tennis.
"If you don't like tennis, quit." I wish more people would express this concept when it comes to Kyrgios.
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You don't have to like your job to keep doing it, especially if you earn millions. Kyrgios has said this several times in interviews and press conferences that he wouldn't know what else to do at this point if he wasn't playing tennis. I, personally, don't care one bit what he says or what he does off the court. He's still an interesting figure, period.

Oh and btw Mac is a stuck-up self-absorbed buffon who simply loves the sound of his own voice so it's been a while since he's been treated seriously. The guy has switched back and forth in the GOAT debate like 10 times in the last 6-7 years or so.
 
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tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
Terenigma said:
Oh look, McEnroe saying something in public that everyone else in the tennis world has been saying for weeks, maybe even months. He's so refreshing and current with his views. Oh wait... no he's not. His views flip flop more than the shoe.

Remember during wimbledon? He was all hype about Kyrgios and saying he can settle down and become a future grand slam winner. At the time, i was anoyed he said that because he was coaching Raonic and should of been hyping up him but on the flip side, i figured when the Raonic partnership ended (as it was obviously going to) that he might of put himself in a good spot to be a genuine coach to Kyrgios. Now he says this? Jesus, he cant commit to anything can he? Its no wonder noone wants him as a coach and he's barely a relevant commentator anymore.
Click to expand...

Agreed. As for the bolded part - well no wonder since, as talented as he was, his technique is 30 years outdated and he's so far up his own a** that even Chris Evert would be proud.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
tennis_pro said:
You don't have to like your job to keep doing it. Kyrgios has said this several times in interviews and press conferences that he wouldn't know what else to do at this point if he wasn't playing tennis. I, personally, don't care one bit what he says or what he does off the court. He's still an interesting figure, period.

Oh and btw Mac is a stuck-up self-absorbed buffon who simply loves the sound of his own voice so it's been a while since he's been treated seriously.
Click to expand...

And the very reason why so many people (the average person) remain unhappy in their job is because they keep doing the very thing that makes them unhappy. If you're unhappy with what you're doing, then do something else. Saying that you don't know what else you'd do if you weren't doing what makes you unhappy currently is a lame cop-out. He's only 21 and maybe he'll mature but he's got to do that soul searching. Kyrgios has said repeatedly that he doesn't love tennis. Fine. Don't do it and sit a home and do nothing until you figure it out. He, unlike most of us, probably has that luxury.

And the only thing that makes him interesting is that he's all about controversy. I'm sure what drives your interest is seeing what "person" is going to show up at each every match. Not his tennis. Because honestly we don't get to see enough of his tennis to know if it's worth it. It would be different if he had the crappy on-court attitude and still managed to WIN but that's not the case. I'm not a McEnroe fan but I agree with him for calling out Kyrgios.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
Russeljones said:
Something wrong with the following:
"Kyrgios lit up Arthur Ashe Stadium when he ran down a drop shot and conjured an incredible around-the-net-post backhand winner in the fifth game of the third set. But the over exertion may well have inflamed his injury, with a clearly lame Kyrgios managing to win just six more games and dropping serve four times before stopping."
Click to expand...

Exactly. When things get tough, Kyrgios gets going.....to the locker room....to the hotel...to the airport....back home to Australia. He's not interested in the battle. He's interested in the highlight reel.
 
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A

ABCD

Hall of Fame
Problem with Kyrgous is that he strikes as ungrateful for everything he got. Making a player of that calibre (top20-30) requires concerted effort of so many people, it is not just his blood, sweat and tears, but also of his parents, coaches and who knows who else. He is like spiting them in the face by saying now that he actually doesn't like it. Did anyone forced him to be a tennis player?
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
Gemini said:
And the very reason why so many people (the average person) remain unhappy in their job is because they keep doing the very thing that makes them unhappy. If you're unhappy with what you're doing, then do something else. Saying that you don't know what else you'd do if you weren't doing what makes you unhappy currently is a lame cop-out. He's only 21 and maybe he'll mature but he's got to do that soul searching. Kyrgios has said repeatedly that he doesn't love tennis. Fine. Don't do it and sit a home and do nothing until you figure it out. He, unlike most of us, probably has that luxury.
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One word : Agassi. Have you read his book? He absolutely hated tennis in his first couple of years being a pro but unlike Kyrgios he wasn't as vocal about it as Kyrgios is now.

He's 21 years old and still young, I'd give him another 2 years. The guy just needs an incentive to wanna be the best because right now it seems that he's happy with what he's achieved so far (being a top 20 player and earning millions).

Gemini said:
And the only thing that makes him interesting is that he's all about controversy. I'm sure what drives your interest is seeing what "person" is going to show up at each every match. Not his tennis. Because honestly we don't get to see enough of his tennis to know if it's worth it. It would be different if he had the crappy on-court attitude and still managed to WIN but that's not the case. I'm not a McEnroe fan but I agree with him for calling out Kyrgios.
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As I said earlier in this thread McEnroe is the last person to question someone else's training intensity. I can say the very same thing about him that he was exposed by Lendl who worked his a** off in training trying to improve and trying to take it to the next level which he did. If Mac was in his prime now he wouldn't even last an hour against these fitness monsters so he should have a nice big cup of you know what.
 
LetsPlayFBI

LetsPlayFBI

New User
He's a young guy still. He needs to mature. He has yet to find his "a-ha" moment. It will come Agassi was like this as well in the early years.
 
R

reaper

Legend
Mcenroe's comments were made prior to Kyrgios's retirement, and were a reflection on Kyrgios over a period of time rather than this specific episode. I first noticed Kyrgios's injuries at the 2014 US Open, where he was limping around the court periodically yelling "What am I doing here?" and "Why am I playing?" and he's seemingly had injuries at just about every tournament since. I remember Englich cricketer Ian Botham commentating when one of their bowlers limped off with another in a long line of injuries saying "He really needs to develop his pain tolerance, that's if he's got one." Dealing with pain is part of being a professional athlete, and leaving this specific episode aside, Kyrgios does not appear to have a high pain tolerance.
 
newpball

newpball

Legend
tacou said:
Tell us how you really feel.

But his latest attack was particularly harsh, given Kyrgios’s obvious injury concerns. “Nick Kyrgios, if you don’t want to be a professional tennis player, do something else,” McEnroe said. “He’s hurt because he’s not training enough.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...bid-in-third-round-clash-with-illya-marchenko
Click to expand...
What Kyrgios needs is a capable drill instructor.

6a00d83451f25369e2014e5ffa2049970c-800wi


:D
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
ABCD said:
I am puzzled that Djokovic is not you role model if you appreciate work ethic so much?
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I don't care about it to be honest, I just said that it's outrageous that someone who didn't train nearly as much as his rivals can question the training regime of a current pro. Even if he's right he's not the right person to critisize someone else in this department.
 
skip1969

skip1969

G.O.A.T.
thing is, it doesn't matter if kyrgios doesn't like tennis or doesn't like to train. he's not the first pro tennis player not to "like" tennis. he's not the first not to "like" training. he's not the first to be prone to injury. those things aren't mutually exclusive. heck, you can be injury prone from training too much.

if you need tax answers, you ask an accountant.
if your car ain't running well, you go to a mechanic.
if your eyesight is bothering you, you see an optometrist.
and if your body is failing, you consult john mcenroe.

. . . er . . . nooooo. you consult your trainer/physio/doctor. someone who has had years of study to understand the complex inner workings of human anatomy and physiology. a trained professional, who can examine you intimately and provide you with the most accurate assessment as to what your body needs to stay in the best working order.

i mean heck, mcenroe might as well give everyone on this board his "diagnosis" as to what ails us. he knows our bodies just as well as he knows kyrigos'.

you can start with me, john. i had knee surgery to re-attach some tendons in my knee. i was in a wheelchair for five months and i've been through two stints of rehabilitation in the last 10 years. but my knee is still bugging me. please, pretty please . . . use your magic powers and tell me what's wrong with me.
 
The Fedfather

The Fedfather

Legend
McEnroe's critique isn't harsh, Kyrgios got exactly what he asked for. Nick wants everyone to think that he doesn't care about tennis and can't be bothered to try his best in order to succeed. He doesn't train hard (he's not motivated), plays computer games instead of a proper preparation for an important match (it's fun), doesn't make an effort to win tough matches (he's a liitle bit soft), etc. Kyrgios is more interested in making excuses for why he didn't do something rather than actually trying to do it which is incredibly unfortunate considering the talent he's got.
 
TupeloDanger

TupeloDanger

Professional
tennis_pro said:
Agreed. As for the bolded part - well no wonder since, as talented as he was, his technique is 30 years outdated and he's so far up his own a** that even Chris Evert would be proud.
Click to expand...
Plus, it's been like two months now since he took a woefully overmatched player past the GOAT and to the finals of Wimbledon, creating a new career high point where it was thought impossible for a previously one-dimensional player.

Mac's the highest-paid and most-respected analyst in the game for a reason. He ain't gonna strike a chord with the Pokemon crowd, but he isn't paid to. He's paid to tell it like it is to the adults that make up the huge majority of the tennis public.

He's fully justified in his scathing critique of Kyrgios -- more so than any other person could be, or would know how to be. As the sport's all-time greatest enfant terrible, he certainly knows whereof he speaks. He managed to balance the rigors of world class tennis and the rockstar lifestyle, and achieved more by 20 than Kyrgios would in ten tennis careers.
 
duaneeo

duaneeo

Legend
If ____ were more dedicated and trained more, they would be a slam winner; would have won many more slams; would be world #1; would have dominated; would be a top-5 player; would be this; would be that. We've heard this about many players over the years. Even Serena was once criticized for showing a lack of dedication to the game. In the end, no matter how frustrating it may be to the commentators or fans, a player's dedication/training is his/her prerogative.
 
G

Gemini

Hall of Fame
tennis_pro said:
One word : Agassi. Have you read his book? He absolutely hated tennis in his first couple of years being a pro but unlike Kyrgios he wasn't as vocal about it as Kyrgios is now.

He's 21 years old and still young, I'd give him another 2 years. The guy just needs an incentive to wanna be the best because right now it seems that he's happy with what he's achieved so far (being a top 20 player and earning millions).


As I said earlier in this thread McEnroe is the last person to question someone else's training intensity. I can say the very same thing about him that he was exposed by Lendl who worked his a** off in training trying to improve and trying to take it to the next level which he did. If Mac was in his prime now he wouldn't even last an hour against these fitness monsters so he should have a nice big cup of you know what.
Click to expand...

It's a lotta woulda, shoulda, coulda saying that McEnroe wouldn't survive against today's players. Well..he's not playing now. He was playing in a period when his talent alone was good enough to carry him through matches. Number 20 is the world back then probably wasn't as fit at number 200 these days. You simply can't compare eras because of all the things that have changed between then and now. Lendl took fitness to a new level during that era but he was never as naturally talented as McEnroe.

And yes..I'm aware of Agassi and his development but you've said it yourself, he wasn't as vocal about it. Does it make him better than Kyrgios in that regard..no. But Agassi was no where near as outwardly combative during his developmental period.

If Kyrgios doesn't want to be out there then don't do it. Kyrgios should go and join a semi-pro basketball team for a while and live that life for a bit to see if it's what he's been missing. If anything, it will probably help him physically. Heck..even Sam Groth left the game for a bit to play Aussie Rules Football and that's what he needed to figure out just what he wanted out of the game of tennis. Groth is nowhere near Kyrgios's talent but at least he was brave enough to step out of an unhappy situation for a bit to get some perspective.

Right now, Kyrgios doesn't owe the game anything. I, honestly, think he's struggling to deal with all the expectations. But he owes it to himself to decide if he's willing to get out there and fight for each match when things get difficult on court.
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
TupeloDanger said:
Plus, it's been like two months now since he took a woefully overmatched player past the GOAT and to the finals of Wimbledon, creating a new career high point where it was thought impossible for a previously one-dimensional player.
Click to expand...
You mean the same 35-year old Fed who played for 4 hours+ in the previous match and won't play another singles match until 2017 due to injury? What happened in the final against Murray too?
TupeloDanger said:
Mac's the highest-paid and
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Because of his name.
TupeloDanger said:
most-respected analyst in the game for a reason.
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PPPPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
TupeloDanger said:
He ain't gonna strike a chord with the Pokemon crowd, but he isn't paid to. He's paid to tell it like it is to the adults that make up the huge majority of the tennis public.
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I don't think that he ever said anything that I didn't know before. He's all hype, goes with the wave like no other.
TupeloDanger said:
He's fully justified in his scathing critique of Kyrgios -- more so than any other person could be, or would know how to be. As the sport's all-time greatest enfant terrible, he certainly knows whereof he speaks. He managed to balance the rigors of world class tennis and the rockstar lifestyle, and achieved more by 20 than Kyrgios would in ten tennis careers.
Click to expand...
Not in this case. He questioned his FITNESS and lack of training which Mac wasn't doing a lot of himself when he was active. He's a hypocrite.
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
Gemini said:
It's a lotta woulda, shoulda, coulda saying that McEnroe wouldn't survive against today's players. Well..he's not playing now. He was playing in a period when his talent alone was good enough to carry him through matches. Number 20 is the world back then probably wasn't as fit at number 200 these days. You simply can't compare eras because of all the things that have changed between then and now. Lendl took fitness to a new level during that era but he was never as naturally talented as McEnroe.
Click to expand...
It is but Mac wasn't one of the fittest guys on tour so he shouldn't question someone else in the same regard. He can question his passion, love for the game, dedication but fitness? Gooby...Mac needs to zip it.

Gemini said:
If Kyrgios doesn't want to be out there then don't do it. Kyrgios should go and join a semi-pro basketball team for a while and live that life for a bit to see if it's what he's been missing. If anything, it will probably help him physically. Heck..even Sam Groth left the game for a bit to play Aussie Rules Football and that's what he needed to figure out just what he wanted out of the game of tennis. Groth is nowhere near Kyrgios's talent but at least he was brave enough to step out of an unhappy situation for a bit to get some perspective.

Right now, Kyrgios doesn't owe the game anything. I, honestly, think he's struggling to deal with all the expectations. But he owes it to himself to decide if he's willing to get out there and fight for each match when things get difficult on court.
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Well agreed even though we were only discussing fitness issues.
 
Slice'n'dice

Slice'n'dice

Hall of Fame
Gemini said:
Here ya go.. Kyrgios's comments earlier this year.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ennis-id-rather-play-basketball-10343748.html
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Doesn't really say he doesn't like tennis there. He says he doesn't love it and prefers basketball. As someone mentioned Agassi hated tennis when he was younger too and people don't mind him. Probably plenty of other players don't enjoy it too much but that's the way these things are sometimes. It shouldn't really matter to us. Seeing him in that match, in tears and what not though, shows that he does care and that's good to see.

Getting pretty fashionable to **** off Krygios, and the guy is an immature kid, but he's a great talent. People need to give the guy a break.
 
cc0509

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
McEnroe is right here IMO. Kyrgios is not dedicated enough and is not training hard enough and hence the injuries. It's a real shame because if Kyrgios took the sport seriously with his talent he could easily be top ten. For me, he's the most talented of that younger generation by miles. That's obvious whether you like him or not.
 
The Fedfather

The Fedfather

Legend
Slice'n'dice said:
Doesn't really say he doesn't like tennis there. He says he doesn't love it and prefers basketball. As someone mentioned Agassi hated tennis when he was younger too and people don't mind him. Probably plenty of other players don't enjoy it too much but that's the way these things are sometimes. It shouldn't really matter to us. Seeing him in that match, in tears and what not though, shows that he does care and that's good to see.

Getting pretty fashionable to **** off Krygios, and the guy is an immature kid, but he's a great talent. People need to give the guy a break.
Click to expand...
The "kid" excuse is ridiculous, he's 21 FFS. Kyrgios needs to change his attitude or he'll just waste away all that great talent of his. As for people giving him hard time, if Nick keeps acting like a brat then he better be prepared to be treated like one.
 
Slice'n'dice

Slice'n'dice

Hall of Fame
The Fedfather said:
The "kid" excuse is ridiculous, he's 21 FFS. Kyrgios needs to change his attitude or he'll just waste away all that great talent of his. As for people giving him hard time, if Nick keeps acting like a brat then he better be prepared to be treated like one.
Click to expand...

21 year olds aren't really adults. Especially a 21 year old catapulted into the spotlight with all the expectation that he has on him. Think a lot of 21 year olds would struggle, doesn't make them some sort of pariah and evil man. He's acted like a brat at times, but last night is not one of them. If you are going to be harsh on him do it when it's appropriate, this is just kicking a man when he's down.

Yeah he needs to make changes but he has time on his side. The sooner the better of course but some people take longer to find their feet. That's just the way it is. This sort of stuff doesn't help anyone.
 
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