Laughed. Couldn't help it. There was just something oddly amusing about listening to Mark Philippoussis talking this week about possibly being the right coach for Nick Kyrgios if only Kyrgios can choose who the right coach might be. Philippoussis? Really?
Of the many – including Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors – who have expressed interest in a job that will probably not be filled any time soon by the youngest man in the world's top 15 and possible future No.1, the candidacy of a former player who was not known for his hard work, discipline or devotion to physical preparation did not exactly appeal as the most natural fit.
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Philippoussis' achievements are sometimes under-appreciated. He did not squander his ability, for he had a fine career that included two grand slam finals appearances, wins in the deciding rubbers of two Davis Cup triumphs and a peak ranking of No. 8. A success, by any measure.
But nor did he maximise what he had. Knee injuries were a major recurring factor, certainly, but he needed to be fitter, and lighter, and several frustrated conditioning experts would attest that he struggled to do what was required to get himself in the best possible shape.
Kyrgios has a different body, and personality, but the Australians are both the sons of Greek fathers, and shot to prominence with intoxicating performances while still in their teens: Philippoussis on a memorable Saturday night against Sampras at the 1996 Australian Open; Kyrgios in overwhelming Rafael Nadal to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014.
Pat Rafter, a contemporary of Philippoussis and now Tennis Australia's performance director, said recently that Kyrgios could conceivably win only one of the four majors in his current shape, despite rating the Canberran, in terms of talent, "as good as I have seen in the last 20 years" during a chat with Pat Cash on CNN. Mentally, there are obvious queries, too.
"I think game-wise Nick can do it," Rafter said. "I don't know about physically; you have to be an all-round good athlete as well. Can he back up seven matches?' Aussie Open? Probably not. French Open? Definitely not. The US? No. But Wimbledon he certainly can."
The other point that needs to be considered is whether Kyrgios – who parted ways with Todd Larkham 18 months ago – needs a coach at all right now. As that well-known sage Bernard Tomic expressed it on Wednesday: "He doesn't have a coach and he's 13 in the world, so he's doing a great job." We'll overlook the fact that Tomic admitted in the same interview that "I'm not the best, I'm not the brightest, but we all have our problems", for the point was valid.
As was this from the Queenslander: "Obviously you need a mentor. But at the end of the day it is all about us and how hard we want to work. That will determine whether we will be top players or just good players."
Indeed. So back to Philippoussis as potential whip-cracker-in-chief. As a 40-year-old father and husband, with the benefit of hindsight and maturity, he believes he has both wisdom to impart and empathy with his trouble-prone young compatriot. Which is probably true. But the best man to coach Kyrgios, whenever the timing is right and the 21-year-old is ready to listen? Wouldn't think so.