Australian great John Newcombe says Nick Kyrgios should tap into the experience of a grand slam winner to help him reach the sport's pinnacle, but backed the Canberra star to prove he has matured at Wimbledon.
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Kyrgios cruised through the opening round of his Wimbledon campaign when he beat Czech veteran Radek Stepanek in four sets to set up a round-two clash against Dustin Brown.
The 21-year-old is seeded No.15 and world No.1 Novak Djokovic has claimed that Kyrgios is capable of launching a challenge for the most prestigious prize on the tennis circuit.
Kyrgios flagged the prospect of potentially linking with 37-year-old Stepanek in the future as he continues his journey on the professional tour without an official mentor.
"[Nick] just needs to settle into the tour and get the spotlight off him," Newcombe said on Channel Seven.
"I like the way he's played [against Stepanek]. In terms of having a coach, the best way I can answer that is, if you're trying to climb to the top of a mountain and you've never been up that mountain before ... if you could have someone guiding you who has climbed that, the path becomes easier.
"There's less danger of getting you into trouble. Eventually I think he'll have to get [a coach], but someone who's been at the top of the mountain before.
"Djokovic is the perfect example. [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal were complete players at 21. But Djokovic had a lot of little areas he needed to improve on and now he's the complete player. He's gradually put that package together."
Kyrgios was at his unpredictable best against Stepanek, with a superb "tweener" lob exciting the crowd. However, he also got a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after the third set.
Newcombe though, questioned the umpire's decision to bring down the hammer on Kyrgios.
"I didn't think Nick's behaviour was that bad, I didn't think what he said was terrible. The problem is he's got a reputation and the umpires are sitting on him," Newcombe said.
"If someone else had said that, the umpires may have said just calm it down. Overall I thought Nick contained himself pretty well."
Kyrgios is promising fans "a circus" when he takes on German showman Brown for a place in the last 32 at Wimbledon on Thursday.
Declaring himself "locked in" for a deep run at the title after surviving an early test against Stepanek, Kyrgios is ready for another tough workout with Brown, a genuine grasscourt specialist.
The dreadlocked dangerman ousted Rafael Nadal last year and fellow former champion Lleyton Hewitt in 2013 and has Kyrgios very much on guard.
"He's a great player. As well, he's exciting. I'm ready to have fun out there with him.
"It's a circus. But it's good. It's good. His style of tennis, it's just big. He's got a big serve. He likes to come in. He's creative. That's important to have in tennis."
