Nick Kyrgios has opened up on his mental health battle in a new interview, detailing his previous self-harm and the dark times that threatened to deter his life and career.
The 28-year-old has been dubbed as controversial and polarising throughout his professional tennis career, with his on-court outbursts and expletive-laden incidents dividing fans and players across the globe.
Kyrgios burst onto the scene almost a decade ago, defeating the top-ranked Rafael Nadal in his debut Wimbledon campaign, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2014 tournament and rising up the ATP rankings.
In the past, the Aussie has publicly explained some of his personal struggles, including depression and substance abuse issues in 2019, but his latest admission is heartbreaking for fans of the Canberra native.
Nick Kyrgios opens up on mental health battle, Andy Murray friendship
In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, Kyrgios delved into the relationship he shares with Andy Murray and how the English star helped him through the toughest period of his life, which included self-harm.
“Andy was always a big supporter of me... as soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing," he said.
“He realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path, but he was always someone that was looking out for me.
“He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, ‘What’s that on your arm?’ It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it... I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen.
“I think it was all a year-and-a-half to two years of just complete harm. It was pretty dark to be honest.
“I won tournaments on the professional tour, drinking every night, self-harming, burning things on my arm, cutting myself for fun. It became an addiction of pain.
"I hated myself. I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios.”
While the wider public perception has remained the same over the years, Kyrgios personal battle has made a difference in the lives of many of his fans.
In the interview with Morgan, he revealed conversations and interactions with fans on social media have given him a fresh outlook and allowed him to make a positive impact stemming from his own journey.
“I feel like I’ve helped so many people after I opened up about it and put it on social media," Kyrgios said.
“I’ve almost been a beacon for people who are struggling. When they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they’re going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I’m relatable.
“That’s been the most powerful thing in my career; people coming to me with genuine issues. They send me photos in my Instagram, direct messages, self-harming and genuinely wanting to commit suicide.
“I have conversations with these people. Sometimes I’ve had phone calls with these people. That’s making a real difference and I’m just really proud.”
Kyrgios is hopeful of partaking in the upcoming Australian Open in January after overcoming a tough injury run following his career-best performance at the 2022 Wimbledon event, finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic.
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