Marat Safin has urged Nick Kyrgios to “be a warrior, not an entertainer” and embrace the pressure to capitalise on his tennis gifts before it’s too late.
Former world No.1 Safin was able to defy his own on-court temper and theatrics to win two grand slam titles – including victory over Lleyton Hewitt in the 2005 Australian Open final.
Set for a return to Australia for January’s ATP Cup as Russia captain, Safin was sympathetic and hopeful for a man he can relate to.
“I’m not judging and I know it’s sensitive, and you hear three million times that if he gets serious he can be a top 10 player,” Safin told AAP.
“But I think he tries to hide his doubts by joking around.
“He needs to face the pressure and be a warrior, not an entertainer.
“I think he’s a great warrior; he just needs to face the tough moments and once he does he could have a great career.”
Russian will play their pool rounds in Perth while Kyrgios will partner Alex de Minuar in the inaugural teams event in Brisbane, with finals to be contested in Sydney.
Kyrgios will do so facing a 16-week ban and $37,000 fine if he violates certain conditions after a string of incidents earlier this year.
The world No.30 has been as high as 13th but has constantly faced scrutiny for his inconsistency, on-court behaviour and application.
Safin, once docked a point for “mooning” the crowd to celebrate winning a point, admits he “had his problems, big time” when it came to controlling his temper.
Australian tennis crowds have long been divided on Kyrgios but Safin said the maligned talent could lean on them like he once did.
“They’re unbelievable, amazing and know how to life the life – it’s a great combination to play the best tennis,” he said.
“I know what I’m talking about … it’s difficult to deal with the pressure, a lot of people around you but this is life and the idea is to make less mistakes as you grow up.”
He said the suspended sentence could be the reality check Kyrgios needs to find clarity.
“He has great potential, for some reason he isn’t consistent and that’s why the ranking bounces left and right,” he said.
“Maybe that six months is enough time to rethink what he wants to do.
“Time goes fast and he’s not 18 anymore; the years fly, if you don’t wake up now he’ll look back, be 35 years old and that’s it.”
Australia will face Greece, Canada and Germany in Brisbane from January 3, with Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas ensuring no easy passage to Sydney’s finals.
Russia will play Italy, USA and Norway in Perth, with Sydney hosting the likes of Andy Murray’s Great Britain and Dominic Thiem’s Austria.
