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Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has revealed he attended a “psych ward” after the 2019 Wimbledon tournament as he battled alcohol and drug abuse.
Warning: This story contains themes of self-harm and suicide. If you need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Key points:
Nick Kyrgios said his arm was covered in self-harm scars around the 2019 tennis seasonHe said that after his loss to Rafael Nadal, he went to a London hospital for mental health careThe Australian is coming back from a long-term knee injury, and has played his first match this week
Speaking on the Netflix documentary Break Point, the world number 25 said he had been contemplating suicide before attending a hospital in London to “figure out my problems”.
“I was genuinely contemplating suicide,” Kyrgios said.
“I lost at Wimbledon [to Rafael Nadal]. I woke up and my dad was sitting on the bed, full-blown crying. That was the big wake-up call for me. I was like, ‘OK, I can’t keep doing this.'”
Kyrgios said his arm was covered in scars during that period in his life.
During Wimbledon, he wore a long white sleeve during the singles tournament and a sweatband during doubles. His arm was then gradually covered with a full sleeve tattoo over the next 12 months.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
Lifeline on 13 11 14Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or its COVID-19 support service 1800 512 348Headspace on 1800 650 890ReachOut at au.reachout.comCare Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774Brother to Brother on 1800 435 799
“I ended up in a psych ward in London to figure out my problems,” he said.
“I was drinking, abusing drugs, lost my relationship with my family, pushed all my close friends away. You could tell I was hurting.
“My whole arm was covered in scars. That’s why I actually got my arm sleeve. To cover it all. That pressure, having that all-eyes-on-you expectation, I couldn’t deal with it. I hated the kind of person I was.”
In February last year Kyrgios posted on Instagram about his mental health, pointing out self-harm marks on his arm in a photo from the Australian Open.
He said he was “proud to say I’ve completely turned myself around” and he does not “take one moment for granted”.
Kyrgios returned to tennis action this week after seven months out with a knee injury, and was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by China’s Yibing Wu in the first round in Stuttgart, with the match lasting 68 minutes.
While his serve was firing well, despite four double-faults, Kyrgios appeared reluctant to chase balls around the court and by the end was visibly troubled by his knee.
During the changeover after the third game of the second set Kyrgios could be overheard saying to his team, “I feel my knee every point. I can’t walk without pain,” before putting his head in his hands.
“Be patient with me my fans please,” Kyrgios tweeted after Tuesday’s match.
“It’s a process to get back to where I was. I know it’s hard for you to see me perform like today, but I need more time and hopefully can get back to where I was.”
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