Not shy of controversy, Australian tennis' great white hope Nick Kyrgios has surprisingly admitted he is not a fan of the sport.

Kyrgios is seen as an outside chance to derail the big four - Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka - at Wimbledon, starting Monday after reaching the quarter-finals last year.

But the 20-year-old star, who split with coach Todd Larkham during the week, told the Telegraph he prefers basketball over his own craft.

Kyrgios - ranked 29th on the ATP World Tour - has made no secret of his love for the NBA, having pursued a career in the sport as a youngster, before eventually opting for tennis.

"I don't really like the sport of tennis that much," he said.

"I was all for basketball and I made the decision to play tennis. I got pushed by my parents and to this day I can still say I don't love the sport.

"If it's NBA on one channel and a tennis tournament on the other, I'm watching NBA 100 per cent."

In quotes published by the Independent, Kyrgios added: "It's good when you’re out there on a tennis court. There's nowhere to hide. It's all you, tactically, physically, mentally. But I just love basketball, I love the sport. I always have.

"I was trying to get there when I was 14 and every time when I'm playing now I still think I can for some odd reason, even though I'm playing a completely different sport. That's just the way it is and unfortunately I think my basketball career has come to an end."