If you compare Nick Kyrgios with Bernard Tomic, you’re doing the former a disservice.

That is the view of Kyrgios, who said the constant grouping of the pair – often referred to as the ‘bad boys’ of Aussie tennis – is unfair on him.

In a wide-ranging piece he wrote for the newly launched Players Voice, Kyrgios offered up his opinion on Tomic’s future and said “a lot has changed” since he was good friends with the 24-year-old.

“You’d also be wrong if you tried to lump me in the same category as Bernard Tomic, as Kitty Chiller and tons of others have over time,” he wrote.

“Bernie has lost his way. We were pretty good mates when I was younger.

“I obviously didn’t know the tennis tour too well back then and we were guys of similar age, representing the same country, on the road at many of the same tournaments.

“But a lot has changed since then. He needs to figure out what he wants to do. I can’t relate to anything he says anymore.

“He says one thing and he does the other. And he contradicts himself all the time.”

Tomic has nosedived down the ATP rankings in 2017, falling to 146th as he has battled injuries and a lack of motivation.

On his own success, or lack of it in 2017, Kyrgios said that he does not want to succeed enough on the tennis tour – and that is because of his constant desire to “lead a normal life”.

“I am not the professional tennis needs me to be,” Kyrgios said.

“That’s the truth. Being home is the only time I get to lead a normal life. It’s the place where I can spend time with my family, play Call Of Duty with my mates, be a kid like everyone else.

“It’s also the time where tennis expects me to be training, going to the gym and trying to improve the mental side of my game.

Kyrgios hit a world-high ranking of 13 last year. Photo: Getty

“I’m not making the improvements I should because I don’t want it enough, I’m not taking it seriously enough.

“I know that and there’s no point trying to convince anyone otherwise.

“There is a constant tug-of-war between the competition within me wanting to win, win, win and the human in me wanting to live a normal life with my family away from the public glare.”

The World No.20 added that he hates losing and that his performances were largely based on his mental state – which the media plays a big role in.

“I love to win. Whether it’s chess, or Call Of Duty or tennis, I hate losing and I get angry – as you might have picked up! – when I feel like I’m not performing to my potential,” he added.

“When I’m in the right frame of mind, I feel unbeatable … it all comes down to my motivation levels.

“And one of the things that impacts that is the media and how I feel I’m being portrayed in it.”

Kyrgios won just two grand slam singles matches in 2017 as he struggled with injuries but his form on the ATP World Tour was fairly good, winning 26 of 39 matches.

He will represent Australia in this weekend’s Davis Cup semi-final against Belgium, playing alongside John Millman, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jordan Thompson and John Peers.