ONE sentence was all you needed to hear to understand how and why tennis has completely lost control of temperamental brat Nick Kyrgios.

It didn’t come from Kyrgios.

OUTBURST: F-bombs, blow ups: just another Kyrgios match

It came from French chair umpire Damien Dumusois who, after docking Kyrgios a point for swearing in his loss to Albert Ramos-Vinolas at Indian Wells, decided the best form of attack was not to attack at all.

“Please Nick, stop using ‘F’ words,” Dumusois pleaded.

That’s what it has come to.

An umpire, sounding much like an exasperated grandfather on babysitting duty, almost begging a youngster to behave himself after he has repeatedly sworn, hit a ball into the crowd and even sat with the crowd in protest.

Can you imagine Paul Gallen putting on a turn in this year’s State of Origin series then the referee saying “please Paul, can you try and hold your tongue?’’

Or a jockey causing major interference in a Melbourne Cup then returning to be greeted by stewards with the line “please can you make sure you don’t do that again.’’

In most sports, the refs, stewards and umpires are the bosses. Challenge them at your peril.

In tennis, where old world courtesy gets clobbered by new world contrariness, it’s just different and that does no credit to the sport at all.

Umpires are part-adjudicators, part-nannies, part sitting ducks for any trumped up star who’s having an off day.

The soft treatment of our stars starts in the commentary box where they are still often referred to by their first names and Bernard is often shortened to Bernie.

When was the last time you heard an ex-player in Australia take a strong stance on Kyrgios’ behaviour?

media_camera Nick Kyrgios continues to walk the disciplinary tightrope.

I’m talking a statement with a bit of feeling and frustration as opposed to a carefully-crafted tiptoe.

Is there anyone out there in the tennis world strong enough to tell Kyrgios he is becoming a national embarrassment?

He and Bernard Tomic may have been stood down from Davis Cup campaigns but you never sense there is lingering frustration or anger about their behaviour or a genuine commitment to make them change their ways.

Disciplining Kyrgios is a bit like disciplining a naughty five-year-old.

The way to get through to him is to find out what really hurts him.

On-court warnings bounce off him like a raindrop on a roof tile, fines are brushed away like speeding tickets.

The only way to get through is to ban him.

Significantly, his latest outburst comes three weeks after a suspended month-long ban on him expired.

media_camera Nick Kyrgios joined Lleyton Hewitt in the stands after being docked a point at Indian Wells.

For six months he has been playing under the threat of knowing that one false step could see him banned for a month.

But that ban expired in late February and look what happens. The lid pops off the saucepan.

While his little tantrum at Indian Wells was not worthy of a ban you sense the moment will rise again.

There is always a suspicion in tennis that the players run the game as much the game runs the players.

Maria Sharapova’s positive drug test was not announced by the WTA but Sharapova herself.

It is probably no surprise that no-nonsense Pat Rafter is no longer in charge of the Davis Cup squad because his tolerance level for boorish behaviour is nowhere near as high as some of his ex-Australian teammates.

A few years back, when he was free of national ties, I asked him about his thoughts on the indulged modern generation of stars and he explained why he forced-fed them with some harsh truths when they came swaggering in his direction.

“In tennis you get so much smoke blown up your backside at a young age when you are the best in the world,’’ Rafter said.

“Kids go away a bit deflated after speaking to me. But if you can’t deal with that, you are not going to make it anyway.

“The reality is you are still so far away ... you are not even close to being a player yet.

media_camera This poor old racquet got the Kyrgios treatment at the Australian Open.

“When I was playing juniors, lots of people stayed in caravan parks. I had to run a program I would be giving a fair bit of tough love. I remember when Bill Sweetenham coached my brothers swimming in the 1970s in Mount Isa, he used to jump on them in the pool.

“I would love to go back to the old roots and make it hard but fun.’’

It’s a great theory. Whether they would be prepared to cop it is a different matter altogether.