Opinion: Nick Kyrgios needs a break to clear head and find passion again

NICK Kyrgios needs a break.

The 21-year-old is an immense talent but right now he plays like a shadow of the player he should be.

Kyrgios has shown glimpses of his potential and the Australian public, and the world, have liked what they have seen.

With an expectation he will perform, he cannot simply skip from one tournament to the next and underwhelm.

The issue here is that he does not want to put in the work.

By his own admission he does not love tennis. He even labelled his performance in his fourth round loss against Andy Murray at Wimbledon as “soft”.

It shows in his on-court performances where his demeanour yo-yos by the game.

While his flair and raw talent see him through the early rounds of grand slams, the true tests, players like Murray and Novak Djokovic, show how far he has to go.

Again, he does not care.

The public, who crave consistency, are tired.

Surely it cannot be long before sponsors feel that way too.

With the Rio Olympics and US Open to come, a six-month break will allow him to experience life away from the cameras and offer him space to reflect on his short career so far.

He can then decide whether he wants to put in the work to become the great player so many believe he can be.

We have to remember even top players are not perfect.

Roger Federer was described as a combustible teen, while Murray has had to respond to questions about his on court behaviour for years.

He has time to turn it around and space on the sidelines could help him realise that.