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Nick Kyrgios loss at Australian Open best thing for his 2017 Tour

By Harry Floyd

Sep 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts as he gets his racquet and a towel from a ball boy during his match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on day two of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts as he gets his racquet and a towel from a ball boy during his match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on day two of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nick Kyrgios is getting a reality check at Melbourne Park this week. The Australian tennis player lost to Andreas Seppi in the second round of the Australian Open.

Nick Kyrgios was just knocked back down to earth.

The world No. 13 has yet to win a Grand Slam title and that will continue for the time being. Andreas Seppi ousted the Australian tennis player from a tournament where he ought to be a fan favorite.

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Kyrgios made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2015. A second round knockout this season is not what any tennis player wants on such a big stage.

In his post-match press conference, the player appeared to go back and forth between seeming determined to bounce back and lacking any real remorse about his tough loss to Seppi.

At just 21-years-old, the Australian has become the center of controversy in men’s singles tennis.

The loss at the 2017 Australian Open needs to be a wake up call for Nick Kyrgios.

One glimmer of hope might be that this loss propels Kyrgios to find a coach and build a true team around him. He must, however, want to play the sport of tennis.

The tennis world has seen the young player give up on court before. With such talent and athleticism, fans of Kyrgios do not want to see him continue down that road. Already bursting into the top rankings in men’s tennis, he has the potential to be great.

The likes of world No. 1 Andy Murray and Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic will not be beaten by pure talent. Both earn and fight for their top rankings on a regular basis. And now, with veteran greats such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back on the scene, the road is only made more difficult for a young tennis player. The great players will not relent.

Nick Kyrgios will do well to follow through on his mentions of finding a coach.

"“I mean, I don’t think there’s anyone in the Top 100 without a coach except for me. That needs to change.” – Kyrgios after the loss"

The 2017 ATP World Tour is just getting started. If he decides to truly dedicate himself to the sport, the young Australian tennis player will find himself again in contention for a top ranking at the end of the season.

Next: Top 10 Men's Players in Open Era

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