Nick Kyrgios has thanked Andy Murray for helping him through a difficult period after the Scottish tennis player noticed signs of self-harm on the Australian’s body.
Kyrgios spent time in a psychiatric ward in London in 2019 after struggling with his mental health.
The Australian has now revealed that Murray raised concerns with a member of Kyrgios’s camp after spotting damage on his arm after a practice session.
“Andy was always a big supporter of me,” Kyrgios said in an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV. “As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing. Then 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. But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen. Obviously I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.
“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.”
Nick Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final in 2022— (Getty Images)
Kyrgios overcame that difficult period and enjoyed a successful 2022, winning the men’s doubles on home soil at the Australian Open before reaching the singles final at Wimbledon.
The 28-year-old hopes that sharing his experiences can aid others struggling with similar issues.
“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.”
