The rising crop of Australian men has made headlines of late, and not always for the most positive reasons. The skills possessed by this group of young players have been overshadowed by controversy both on and off the court. With the U. S. Open just a week away, can they get out of their own way and put their questionable actions behind them in time to make an impact in New York?

Many believe Nick Kyrgios is a future major champion waiting to happen. He has impressive weapons that can certainly carry him through any draw put before him. He plays with a swagger and is not intimidated by veterans who have made their mark on the sport. An example of this is his much discussed on-court incident with Stan Wawrinka in Montreal. After personal remarks during the match that targeted Wawrinka’s relationship with WTA player Donna Vekic, he is now $10,000  lighter in the pocket after a fine based on the incident. Kyrgios also will face a withheld fine and a suspension, which will take effect if he fails to meet certain conditions specified by the ATP over the next six months.

Veterans Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and others have lambasted the Aussie since the incident. Kyrgios attempted to make a public apology, but many interpreted it as less than genuine, and there is still a question to whether he offered a private apology to Wawrinka. Nevertheless, the incident is deemed to be in the past, at least publicly.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios’ close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was dragged into the insult aimed at Wawrinka, found himself in his own drama shortly after the Montreal incident. Playing Ryan Harrison in a Cincinnati qualifier, the American took exception to Kokkinakis’ attitude during the match. The pair confronted each other during their post-match handshake and were separated by officials. Harrison later criticized what some have also seen as disrespectful actions by the young Australian.

With controversy swirling around others, surely Bernard Tomic has enjoyed not being at the center of Australian dissension for a change. The 22-year-old has a history of both on-court and off-court antics. From asking officials to remove his father from the stands during a match and snubbing Lleyton Hewitt to taking shots at Australian Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter and facing accusations of tanking a match in New York, Tomic has been in the news too often for the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, he will enter Flushing Meadows holding a seed. The player who once boasted he would win all four majors and become world No. 1 has progressed on the court this season despite controversy.

The common denominator among these three players is obvious. They are all young, particularly from a mental standpoint. Kyrgios turned 20 this year, and Kokkinakis is just 19. In regards to the Kyrgios incident, many veterans have suggested that despite his age, his actions are still inexcusable. Perhaps world No. 1 Djokovic summed it up best, stating “He's young, he's definitely one of the players that everybody's looking to.  His quality of tennis is really remarkable for his age. But again, there's no excuse for what he has said.”

However, with youth comes an opportunity to mature and learn from mistakes. This trio need only look to legendary players from their homeland for lessons. Many have forgotten an incident involving Hewitt at the U. S. Open in 2001. Playing American James Blake, a young Hewitt demanded that chair umpire Andreas Egli remove an African-American linesman who twice called him for a foot fault. Comments picked up by a courtside microphone were interpreted by some as racist. Hewitt later defended and attempted to explain his words, but to no avail. The New York crowd turned on the Australian, hurling insults of their own. Now 14 years after winning the title at Flushing Meadows, Hewitt will play his final U. S. Open before a crowd who will certainly honor him and show their appreciation for the blue-collar competitor. This proves that comments born from immaturity can be forgotten and forgiven.

Australian legends Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall were noted as gentlemen on and off the court. The pair combined for 19 major championships, showing that there is room for both sportsmanship and extreme competitiveness. And while the current group of young Australians certainly are generations removed from these greats, there shouldn’t be a detachment from their success, particularly when the Australian Open is played in an arena named for one.

Since the incident with Wawrinka, Kyrgios was drubbed by John Isner in straight sets at Montreal and exited early in Cincinnati at the hands of Richard Gasquet, 6-2 6-1. The hangover from the previous week appeared to be in full effect. He will enter New York on a losing streak and will likely receive very little support from the tennis-savvy crowd.

Meanwhile, Kokkinakis qualified for Cincinnati and logged an upset of Fabio Fognini before falling to Richard Gasquet in the second round. He has attempted to distance himself from his fellow countryman’s disrespectful comments. Tomic also will enter Flushing Meadows with some confidence after defeating U. S. Open defending champion Marin Cilic in Montreal.

But, in the big picture, perhaps it will be Aussie veterans Sam Groth or John Millman who will win or lose with class, while the young group who follow awkwardly deal with growing pains in the public eye.