The greatest wasted talents in the history of tennis

Talent alone is not enough to reach the top. If there's one universal rule in professional sport, it's this, and tennis is the perfect example.

In the history of tennis, many tennis players have stood out for their outstanding qualities with a racket in hand, but the best are those who have made the most of this talent thanks to their unfailing mental strength.

Let's take a look back at the careers of some of the world's greatest tennis talents, who failed to live up to expectations.

How can we not start this list with, surely, the greatest wasted talent of the 21st century. It's simple, when he's at his best, Nick Kyrgios is one of the few who can compete with the Big 3: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Naturally gifted, the Australian is capable of playing any shot. Spectacular, powerful, precise... His arsenal has all the weapons needed to become an exceptional player. Unfortunately, however, he often lacks the mental strength.

In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Kyrgios admitted that he "hates tennis". He has never hidden the fact that he plays for the money and prefers basketball, his "real passion". A Wimbledon finalist against Novak Djokovic in 2022, the Australian is still only 28 years old and, if he works seriously, could become one of the best players on the circuit.

As a junior, Richard Gasquet was considered the best player in the world. The Frenchman, nicknamed "the little Mozart of tennis", won everything as a youngster. He even became the youngest player to win a match in a Masters Series at the age of 15 years and 10 months at the Monte Carlo tournament.

When he came onto the circuit in 2002, after winning Roland Garros and the US Open junior title, he was seen as the future best player in the world. His one-handed backhand, one of the most beautiful on the circuit, gave him a special elegance, and he quickly became the favourite of the French public.

In 2005, at the age of 19, he broke into the top 20 and continued his progress. In 2007, at the age of 21, he reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and finished the year world No. 7, his career-high ranking.

Unfortunately, the following years were marked by several injuries and a positive test for cocaine. All these issues affected the Frenchman, who never returned to his best level, despite a return to the top 10 in 2012.

Few players on the circuit have a perfectly complete range of shots. But one player does: Latvian Ernest Gulbis. Powerful and blessed with a magical touch, he looked destined for an exceptional career after winning Les Petits As in 2002.

Very soon, however, the Latvian began to show great nervousness in the key moments of his matches. Even though he was better than his opponent, Gulbis often broke down in crucial moments.

Despite this, he still reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2014 and broke into the top 10 that same year. He followed this up with a very difficult season in 2015, in which he fell back into his old ways.

Capable of the best and the worst, Gulbis has often stood out for his inconsistency at the highest level. Capable of beating anyone and losing to anyone, he is still a mystery to many experts.

If there's one player who doesn't take tennis seriously, it's Benoît Paire. The Frenchman is surely one of the players with the best touch on the circuit, capable of some absolutely exceptional drop shots.

The problem is that Paire is not passionate about tennis. A fan of aperitifs and late-night parties, he publicly displays his lack of interest in tennis. But that doesn't stop him from putting in incredible performances and creating a furore.

Adored by some, hated by many, the Frenchman is the most entertaining player on the circuit. He is a player capable of transcending the crowds, but also of being excluded from the French squad for bad behaviour.

On clay, Fabio Fognini is one of the most dangerous players of the 21st century. His backhand is a weapon of mass destruction, capable of turning any situation around. However, like all the players on this list, the Italian is mentally very fragile.

He loves to provoke and insult his opponents. These antics often result in him walking out of his match.

In 2015, he beat Rafael Nadal three times in one year (in Rio, Barcelona and the US Open), proof of the Italian's exceptional talent when he raises his game. Winner of the Monte Carlo tournament in 2019, after eliminating Rafa in the semi-finals, he became world No. 9, his career-high ranking.

A true prodigy, he won the prestigious Orange Bowl in the under-12, under-14 and under-16 categories in 2004, 2006 and 2007 respectively. At 14, he won his first junior tournament against 17-year-olds.

Sponsors such as Nike and IMG took an interest in the young prodigy. Winner of the Australian Open and US Open as a junior, he entered the pro circuit in 2009. His sultry nature, however, began to reveal itself, and as soon as he got into trouble, the Australian would completely get out of his game.

Despite two Wimbledon quarter-finals and four singles titles, Tomic has never managed a full season. He reached a career-high ranking in 2015 ranked world No. 17.