McEnroe chooses Shapovalov, Kyrgios as younger versions of himself

“The guy who reminds me of myself the most is probably Shapovalov, because of the way he plays,” McEnroe said.

The young Canadian emerged in the spotlight after defeating Rafael Nadal in the round of 16 at the Montreal Masters in 2017. He has since been touted as a future Top 5 player and possible Grand Slam champion once he fully unleashes his potential.

Employing a huge serve with penetrating groundstrokes, Shapovalov is also known for his exceptional one-handed backhand. However, he does seem to lack the mental toughness that accompanies the greats and is known to be volatile on occasion.

McEnroe's other choice was someone who is no stranger to volatility, Australia's Nick Kyrgios.

“And obviously Kyrgios, because he has personality and there are some similarities”.

Kyrgios is renowned for his temperamental outbursts on court, a trait also shared by McEnroe. However, they both do not seem to share the same mindset, as McEnroe hinted.

“He [Kyrgios] has an incredible talent for tennis, no doubt,” the Eurosport commentator said. “I like Nick, but the difference is that I looked at guys like Jimmy Connors. And I felt that I had to get in front of the mirror and ask myself: Am I trying as hard as he is? I think Nick has to consider something like that. You must work hard and compete”.

Kyrgios has been known to lose interest during matches, sometimes not even trying anymore. Nonetheless, he is immensely talented and capable of upsetting any of the Big 3 should he apply more effort. Perhaps the recent disasters in Australia will act as the spark required to reignite his passion and full commitment to the sport.

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