Professional tennis player Nick Kyrgios revealed that he had suicidal thoughts, struggled with depression and drug and alcohol abuse in the past, adding his name to the list of high-profile athletes who are open and honest about their mental health.
The 26-year-old Australian, who has already reached No. 13 in the world in the single, posted a message on his Instagram account, which was verified. There he says that he now proudly says that he has taken matters into his own hands and that he has a completely different view of everything.
Kyrgios accompanied his post with a photo of himself sitting on the edge of a tennis court, taken at the Australian Open three years ago, he said.
Check out this post on Instagram
He called this period “one of the darkest” of his life and noted that there are signs of “self-injury” visible on his right hand in this photo.
“I was thinking of suicide and I was literally having a hard time getting out of bed. Without even talking about the stress of playing in front of millions of people, Kyrgios wrote.
“I was lonely, depressed and negative, I used a lot of alcohol and drugs and I kicked out my family and friends. I felt like I had no one to talk to or trust. »
Currently, Kyrgios, ranked 137th in the world, is one of the most entertaining, enigmatic and polarizing athletes in his sport. He is both extremely talented and unconventional on the pitch, except that he is never ashamed to express his views off the pitch.
It was his most candid public outing about his mental health, substance use issues and his new outlook.
He also offered to help others.
“I know that everyday life can seem very tiring, even impossible at times. I know you may feel weak to be open to others or even scared. But I tell you: it does not matter, you are not alone.
“I was in a situation where I felt I would never find positive emotions or energy again. Please never think that you are alone and if you have no one to trust, contact me, I am here. »
Kyrgios completed his message by writing: “This life is wonderful”.
A unique style of play
In January in Melbourne, Kyrgios and longtime friend Thanasis Kokkinakis became the first Australian duo since 1997 to win the doubles title at the Australian Open.
In the simple, Kyrgios lost in the second round to the Russian Daniil Medvedev, who finally reached the final.
Kyrgios is known for his strong serve and for trying to catch the opponents unexpectedly with secret service. It is as likely to attempt a shot between the legs as it is to land with a forehand at 160 km / h.
He likes to play in front of a crowd and interact with the crowd, even talking to spectators between points to ask them where to hit the ball. He has also been accused of not always giving his best.
However, when he plays at his highest level, Kyrgios can beat anyone. He is one of only two players, along with Lleyton Hewitt, another Australian, to win his first match of his career against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
During his first participation in Wimbledon International, in 2014, he reached the quarterfinals, mainly thanks to the victory over Nadal.
He also reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2015, but has not advanced to the fourth round of a Grand Slam since.
Kyrgios has also been found in trouble a few times.
In 2019, he was put on probation for a period of six months by the ATP after being fined $ 113,000 for eight offenses in the Cincinnati tournament.
He typically insulted a head referee and left the field breaking two rackets.
Earlier in the season, he was disqualified from a match in the Rome tournament for throwing a chair.
In 2016, he was expelled from the ATP because he stopped trying to win and to insult spectators at the Shanghai Masters.
Grégoire Barrere
