Nick Kyrgios will reveal in upcoming episodes of a Netflix documentary that he spent time in a psychiatric hospital after losing at Wimbledon in 2019.
The 28-year-old was knocked out by Rafael Nadal in the second round of the championships that year while wearing a white sleeve to cover up his right arm.
“I was genuinely contemplating if I wanted to commit suicide,” Kyrgios says in an episode of the documentary Break Point to be released later this month.
“I lost at Wimbledon. 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, okay, I can’t keep doing this. I ended up in a psych ward in London to figure out my problems.”
Kyrgios wrote a lengthy Instagram post in February last year about his mental health struggles, at the end of which he said he was in a much better place.
“I’m proud to say I’ve completely turned myself around and have a completely different outlook on everything, I don’t take one moment for granted,” he wrote.
“I want you to be able to reach your full potential and smile. This life is beautiful.”
The Break Point episodes chronicle Kyrgios’s run to last year’s Wimbledon final with the highlight of his career so far prompting recollections of the 2019 nadir.
“That pressure, having that all-eyes-on-you expectation, I couldn’t deal with it. I hated the kind of person I was,” he says. “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.”
Reuters was unable to reach Kyrgios or a representative for comment.
Kyrgios’s career renaissance was interrupted around the turn of the year by a knee injury. He returned to action on Tuesday but lost his opening match at the Stuttgart Open.
Reuters
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
