Nick Kyrgios and Andy Murray: the bromance capable of saving a career

The Australian looks up to the new world No1 more than anyone and could not hope to have a better role model as he looks to get his tennis career back on track

It was a three-word tweet which spoke volumes. No sooner had Andy Murray completed his remarkable ascension to the top of men’s tennis, Nick Kyrgios paid homage on social media. “U the man” wrote the Australian before posting a picture of him rubbing Murray’s head. A heartwarming tennis “bromance” for the ages.

Though as the 21-year-old licks his wounds following a meltdown in Shanghai last month which earned severe ATP sanctions and sessions with a sports psychologist, watching his buddy reach for the stars can only have a positive effect. There is, after all, much of Murray in Kyrgios. Both are hot-headed, emotional, complex characters. Their respective countries have endured a relative dearth of success which brings its own pressures.

The best sportsmen are often enigmas, curious puzzles which are fiendishly difficult to solve. Both fall into that category, yet are also rampaging talents on the tennis court. And, that’s why Murray, a world-class superstar with no airs or graces, has constantly been available to help the young Australian deal with the troubles which pollute his undoubted brilliance with racquet in hand.

“Dealing with criticism is hard to take, but Andy has been there and been brilliant with Nick in helping him understand the process,” a source close to Kyrgios told the Guardian. “There’s no manual on how to deal with being famous. He tells him not to get carried away when everything is going to plan and tells him straight when it starts to get ugly. Nick looks up to him more than anyone. There is no one he respects more, and seeing what Andy has achieved is all he needs to take his career forward.”

The Scot is always available – text, WhatsApp, call, or email. Novak Djokovic has also opened the airwaves, something for which he has been appreciative, yet Murray is Kyrgios’s go-to man. The pair are planning a training block together in the coming months. Murray, a relentless athlete in the gym, wouldn’t invite just anyone into the sweatbox of his inner sanctum. He recognises that Kyrgios works hard off the court, even if his demeanour invites large swathes of criticism from those who are unable to see the whole picture.

Certainly among his peers, the Australian isn’t shunned in the locker room or given the cold shoulder. Of course, he’s not everyone’s cup of tea. His relationship with Stan Wawrinka suffered following their unseemly bust-up last August but has now healed. Yet his tennis talents help him earn respect with others.

On tour, a senior group including Murray, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, and John Isner will hang out with him in foreign climes. In hotel rooms, gaming-console duels on Fifa are keenly fought. Undoubtedly, the battles in Kyrgios’ mind are harder to combat.

Yet, Murray knows the pitfalls in which younger players can find themselves. The 29-year-old has been there. Hitting the ball over the net is the straightforward part. Dealing with strains and stresses of sporting stardom, however, is a harder nut to crack and one with which Kyrgios has struggled.

The meltdown in Asia was symptomatic of his inability to cope. With Tokyo tournament sponsor Yonex earmarking one of their clients, Kyrgios, as a marquee player, everyone wanted a piece. The off-court demands were incessant, yet there we no complaints. It’s all part of the game.

A superb week, one of the best in his career, which resulted in a winner’s trophy, soon followed but within 48 hours, he was in Shanghai, starting all over again. No gap, no time for breathing space. The denouement was brutal and the repercussions seismic. Something had to give, and even though Sam Querrey was dispatched in straight sets, against Germany’s Mischa Zverez, he cracked. Serving underarm and arguing with fans is never a good idea.

It looked awful. The critics once again had bucketloads of ammunition to unload. The firestorm blazed. How could it not? “It was terrible and Nick knows he has to do better than that,” the source said. “It was constant between Tokyo and Shanghai. Playing and doing everything else has taken its toll.

“But dealing with everything that comes with being one of the best players in the world is a learning process, and that’s where someone like Andy can come in and help. Nick loves him.”

Now is the time for this supremely talented student to follow his world-dominating teacher’s lead. There is no better role model.

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Del Potro's appeal could transcend tribalism of Davis Cup

In the absence of the injured Roger Federer -- last seen taking the mountain air in Switzerland -- Juan Martin Del Potro might just be the most adored man in tennis.

Though after all the affection and euphoria that Del Potro's comeback appearances have been generating across three continents of late, in Europe, South America and then North America, he is possibly about to reach the limit of his global appeal with a long weekend in Glasgow, the city of Andy Murray's birth.

Think of the Davis Cup semifinal between Britain and Argentina, which begins on Friday at the Emirates Arena, as the ultimate test of Del Potro's new gilded status. It has often been said that you can put Federer on any court in the world, even against a local in a Davis Cup rubber, and the crowd can't bring themselves to turn on him, and perhaps 'Delpo', as he is known, is now in that category.

Consider the noise, emotion and "craziness" in New York when he defeated Steve Johnson in the second round of the US Open -- it's not often that someone is treated so warmly when playing, and beating, an American in America. How will it play out when he faces a Scottish opponent in Scotland, before an audience which is a good two, three times more vocal than the spectators on Wimbledon's Centre Court? Perhaps, like Federer, Del Potro's appeal really will transcend the tribalism of the Davis Cup.

Though let's not be so foolish as to imagine that Del Potro -- a former US Open champion, and the silver medallist at the Rio Olympics -- should be expecting a Glaswegian love-in. Or a repeat of what happened in New York during his US Open quarterfinal defeat to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka when the galleries gave him a standing ovation and sung "Ole, ole, ole, Delpo, Delpo".

Seven years after hitting through Federer to win the 2009 US Open title, Del Potro has had another summer of euphoria. Despite his modest position in the world rankings of No. 64 as he pulls himself up the standings again -- and that's a distinct improvement on his pre-US Open status when that was a triple-digit number -- Del Potro would currently be on the top line of any worldwide popularity chart.

So above even Murray, the Wimbledon and Olympic champion, with the pair expected to play singles on Friday, in what will be a rematch of the gold-medal match in Rio. Del Potro hasn't played a singles rubber in the Davis Cup for four years, though that should hardly have a bearing on the indoor hard court in Scotland. Of far greater relevance is how he has been performing at such a high level of late, including tormenting Murray in Brazil.

"It's going to be interesting, I think. All of the British guys are playing well, and they are the favourites to win, but this is the Davis Cup so anything can happen," Del Potro has said.

Del Potro's re-emergence as a force at the top of the game -- after missing so many years to wrist operations, and coming so close to quitting -- is one reason for his surging popularity. Another is his emotional nature. There isn't a more open and emotional man in tennis; it's been a rarity this summer to see him without pink eyes and his head buried in a towel.

Recall his reaction at Wimbledon, at what was his first Grand Slam for more than two years, when he defeated Wawrinka in the second round -- as he put it, it was a victory that made him feel alive again. Listening to comments like that, no wonder the tennis public have fallen for him,and fallen hard.

That connection between Del Potro and his global followers was only strengthened by his Olympic-standard hitting and Olympic-standard emoting and hugging in Brazil, with his first-round victory over Novak Djokovic possibly the most emotional contest of any sport at the Games with both winner and loser weeping as they left the court. More tears followed when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinal and again after losing a four-setter to Murray. The Olympics brought some of the happiest times of his life, he has said.

And the US Open wasn't bad either, with the singing and chanting during his match against Wawrinka moving him to tears. 'Beloved', people said, and that wasn't over-selling him.

Del Potro has the power and danger in his arm to blast a hole in Murray's and Britain's Davis Cup ambitions. And yet, for all that, Glasgow might still reveal a fondness for the man.

Andy Murray seeded second and Johanna Konta No17 at Wimbledon

Andy Murray will be seeded second at Wimbledon as the British No1 targets his third grand slam title.

Murray, who ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at the All England Club in 2013, will be in a separate half to the top seed Novak Djokovic when the draw is made on Friday.

In the women’s tournament, Johanna Konta is the first British female to be seeded at Wimbledon since Jo Durie in 1984. Konta is seeded 17th.

Her placing is a reward for a remarkable 12 months, in which she has reached the last 16 at the US Open and the semi-finals at the Australian Open. The 25-year-old’s world ranking has shot up from 146th to 18th.

Murray’s seeding means he cannot face the world No1 Djokovic, who currently holds all four grand slam titles, until the final. Murray has lost 13 of his last 15 matches against the Serb, including the Australian and French Open finals this year, but he has won their last two meetings on grass.

The 17-times major champion Roger Federer is seeded third and his Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka four. Canada’s Milos Raonic, who has hired John McEnroe as coach, is sixth.

Serena Williams will be top seed in the women’s draw as the American looks to equal Steffi Graf’s open-era record by sealing a 22nd grand slam triumph.

Williams has failed at the last hurdle in her last two major tournaments, enduring surprise defeats at the Australian and French Open finals this year.

Her conqueror at Roland Garros, Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, is seeded second with Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 finalist, third.

Seedings at Wimbledon are determined using a combination of a player’s ranking points and their results in grass-court matches. Play at the third grand slam tournament of the year starts on Monday.

List of seeds

MEN

1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

2 Andy Murray (Britain)

3 Roger Federer (Switzerland)

4 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland)

5 Kei Nishikori (Japan)

6 Milos Raonic (Canada)

7 Richard Gasquet (France)

8 Dominic Thiem (Austria)

9 Marin Cilic (Croatia)

10 Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic)

11 David Goffin (Belgium)

12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)

13 David Ferrer (Spain)

14 Roberto Bautista Agut (Spain)

15 Nick Kyrgios (Australia)

16 Gilles Simon (France)

17 Gaël Monfils (France)

18 John Isner (US)

19 Bernard Tomic (Australia)

20 Kevin Anderson (South Africa)

21 Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany)

22 Feliciano López (Spain)

23 Ivo Karlovic (Croatia)

24 Alexander Zverev (Germany)

25 Viktor Troicki (Serbia)

26 Benoît Paire (France)

27 Jack Sock (US)

28 Sam Querrey (US)

29 Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay)

30 Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine)

31 João Sousa (Portugal)

32 Lucas Pouille (France)

WOMEN

1 Serena Williams (US)

2 Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain)

3 Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland)

4 Angelique Kerber (Germany)

5 Simona Halep (Romania)

6 Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)

7 Roberta Vinci (Italy)

8 Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)

9 Venus Williams (US)

10 Madison Keys (US)

11 Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)

12 Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland)

13 Carla Suárez Navarro (Spain)

14 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)

15 Samantha Stosur (Australia)

16 Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic)

17 Johanna Konta (Britain)

18 Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)

19 Sloane Stephens (US)

20 Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia)

21 Sara Errani (Italy)

22 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia)

23 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia)

24 Ana Ivanovic (Serbia)

25 Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic)

26 Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania)

27 Kiki Bertens (Netherlands)

28 Coco Vandeweghe (US)

29 Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic)

30 Daria Kasatkina (Russia)

31 Caroline Garcia (France)

32 Kristina Mladenovic (France)

Johanna Konta Joins Andy Murray And David Lloyd In Criticizing LTA

After Andy Murray and David Lloyd made their controversial comments about the Lawn Tennis Association, Britain’s top female, Johanna Konta, also made comments about the governing of British tennis. The Brit said that the LTA’s cuts in funding put her career in jeopardy.

Konta’s Move To Britain

Konta is a 24-year-old who was born in Sydney, Australia to Hungarian parents. In 2005, she moved to the UK. After representing Australia, her birth country, from 2008-April 2012. From May 2012 on, the 24-year-old has represented Great Britain.

Konta’s Rise

This year, the Brit has hit new heights, jumping over 100 spots into the top 50. After focusing on Challenger events for the first half of the year, she began to hit her stride just after her home championships at Wimbledon. After an early exit to Maria Sharapova at the All England Club, she went on to win titles in Granby and Vancouver to put her inside the top 100 for the first time.

She used that momentum to carry her through US Open qualifying. Impressive wins over Louisa Chirico, ninth-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza, and 18th-seeded Andrea Petkovic setup a round of 16 showdown with fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova. She lost 5-7, 3-6, but her run gave her a new found confidence to compete with the world’s elite.

After qualifying for the event Wuhan, she upset Petkovic once again. then defeated former world number one Victoria Azarenka. and current world number two Simona Halep. Her run ended with a three set loss to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. She would go through qualifying for one more event in Linz where she lost in her second main draw match to American Madison Brengle.

Konta’s Quotes

Here’s what Konta had to say about the LTA, "If anyone's livelihood, career or dreams are jeopardised, I don't think that is ever a healthy position to be in," she told BBC Sport.

Konta also talked about the lack of people on the court, which is something Andy Murray brought up when he talked about the LTA, "Recently I've seen a lot of young kids around," Konta said. "But there are times when I think it is too quiet for such a magnificent facility, and it would be nice to see these courts filled with more players."