WHEN Nick Kyrgios first came to the ABC 666 studio on a Saturday morning a few years ago, when he was still at school and ranked in the 1000s, he was humble and shy but he still had a slightly edgy personality, which he has used to great effect in his tennis career thus far.

I can’t say I got to know him well through only four, reasonably brief, interviews. Nevertheless, conjoin this personal connection with the fact that he is from a city in which I live and love, and I can’t help but become defensive when he is under fire from people who have only seen him in the spotlight under pressure.

He is one of the most gifted tennis players we have witnessed for a long time and he does it with a sense of theatre.

I don’t like the pack mentality virtually hunting him out of the sport without some consideration of his age and experience. Not that I agree with his actions.

Then to suggest his heritage was part of the “problem” was totally wrong; his parents Nill and George are two of the nicest parents you could ever hope to meet. They have raised three, highly successful children and Nick’s obvious love of family is an endearing feature of his personality and reflects the support that they have given to him.

That said, to see him belittle an umpire who is just there doing his job, or bounce his racket into the crowd, coupled with the petulance he exhibits if things don’t go his way, gives the impression of “entitlement” and bad sportsmanship.

He doesn’t need me to tell him that it’s unacceptable. It has all happened so quickly, I would imagine that he is starting to realise what happens on a basketball court is totally different to the hallowed grass of Wimbledon.

To my way of thinking, he displays such character in his actual game, he doesn’t need the carry on beyond that.

I would hate to see him sabotage his career by doing something stupid on court at such a young age. What would have happened had his racket, which ended up in the crowd, hit somebody and caused an injury? The racket might be thrown in the heat of the moment but sometimes the consequences of outbursts are well beyond that moment.

I come at this stance through the education I have received by being the patron of the Early Morning Centre in Civic.

At the centre, which provides meals for the homeless and the disadvantaged, I come into contact with many on a weekly basis who have little. You hear tragic life stories that make you so grateful that you have a roof over your head and good health.

There are times when I would like to bring young sportspeople who give the impression of taking things for granted along to the EMC to see first hand what life is like on the other side.

As we have seen many times over the years, sport is filled with young men falling short of public expectation only to mature into statesmen-like figures later in life. Perhaps now is not the best time to be judging Nick Kyrgios.