He's already been dissed as a coaching wannabe by Nick Kyrgios, but tennis super-brat John McEnroe is defiantly targeting Australia's prodigious No.1 for Laver Cup duties.
Appointed as Rest of the World captain for this year's inaugural Laver Cup showdown against Team Europe, McEnroe pulled no punches when asked if Kyrgios was the man to join Milos Raonic and Josh Isner in his line-up to take on all-conquering Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and company in Prague from September 22-24.
"He's the type of player I'd like to have there, certainly," McEnroe said after the unveiling of the Laver Cup trophy in London.
"He's the type of player who people like to watch.
"I like to have him there, yes."
McEnroe last month nominated Kyrgios his top pick when asked which player - in all of tennis - he'd most like to coach.
But after years of bagging from the seven-time grand slam champion and former world No.1, Kyrgios's swift response was not even a 'thanks but no thanks'.
"He's dreaming," the Canberran said .
McEnroe nevertheless still rates the 22-year-old as the most freakish talent to emerge since Federer.
The World skipper joined Federer and Laver in London on Thursday to unveil their sport's newest trophy, an incredible piece of silverware that required some 400 hours of handcrafting to produce.
It features molten metal from one of Laver's four US Open trophies and design elements from all four of the grand slam trophies that Australia's greatest-ever player won during his unrivalled professional career.
Shaped to reflect Laver's "Rocket" moniker, the Laver Cup handles are curved, coming together to signify rivals becoming teammates.
A winner of more than 200 trophies worldwide and the only man to have completed two calendar-year grand slam sweeps, Laver said he was humbled to learn the silverware required about 400 hours of handcrafting.
"Every win, of course, had its significance during my career but to see them represented collectively so beautifully all these years later is extremely special," Federer said on Thursday.
"Laver Cup will be something truly special.
"When you win a title that the great Rod Laver also won, it's wonderful to know that you've shared in those same experiences and that same legacy.
"But the Laver Cup is even more magical. It would be a tremendous privilege to lift a trophy that features a real part of Rod's incredible legacy."
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