AS the 2015 edition of Wimbledon winds down, I'm left pondering whether we have seen the emergence of our generation's "super brat" or just a misunderstood kid who has achieved too much too quickly and with not enough guidance.
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Part of me is disgusted in Nick Kyrgios for his apparent lack of effort in one game against Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the round of 16, but part of me is also willing to forgive him because he showed some ticker afterwards.
Part of me is disgusted in him for the way he constantly argues with officials, but part of me remembers the time I was 20 and would live for Friday afternoon so I could knock off work and head to the Australian Hotel in Young for a few beers.
I certainly wasn't trying to deal with the tension of preparing for the round of 16 at Wimbledon or winning over the endorsement of a sports mad nation.
Is Nick Kyrgios our generation's John McEnroe or could he potentially be our generation's Roger Federer?
Will he be a player who is remembered 30 years from now more for his temper, or will he grow up to win the titles that his ability suggests are at his mercy.
It's a conundrum, and one that I have christened the "curious case of Kyrgios".
There's little doubt in my mind that Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time. The statistics suggest that and his longevity at the top level suggests it as well.
But there was a time, prior to his breakthrough grand slam win against Mark Philippoussis at the All England Club back in 2003, when he had a bad temper and it appeared as though his prodigious talent was going to go to waste.
The same can be said for Novak Djokovic, who to this day can still be on the edge mentally, and even Andy Murray, who would quite often berate himself on court and just drift out of matches early in his career.
Let's not forget that Kyrgios is only 20, and he's only been on the big scene for a year or two.
There's not a lot that needs to be done with his on-court game in order for him to push past the round-of-16 stage at the grand slams and be a contender.
It's between the ears that he needs some help, but it's not something that can't be fixed.
While Bernard Tomic seems to be a lost cause more keen on arguing with Pat Rafter and Tennis Australia, the best thing Kyrgios could do is get in tight with the powers that be and draw on their experience.
Rafter had to work harder than most in order to win at Grand Slam level and be number one in the world.
If Kyrgios could draw on his advice relating to handling the mental side of the game, he has the physical weapons already to be a contender.
A few lessons in being humble could also work wonders when it comes to being loved by the Australian public, but as is the case with most difficult puzzles it's a matter of patience and taking things one step at a time.