Nick Kyrgios, the renowned Australian tennis player, has disclosed that he was admitted to a psychiatric ward after experiencing suicidal thoughts following his defeat at Wimbledon in 2019.
In the upcoming.Netflix documentary series “Break Point,” Kyrgios candidly discusses his ongoing battle with mental health, with his revelations making headlines in Australia. In the aftermath of his loss to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, Kyrgios sought treatment at a London hospital to confront his personal challenges. During his singles matches, he had been concealing his scars by wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm.
Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corp., Kyrgios revealed the depth of his struggle, stating, “I was genuinely contemplating suicide.” He further explained how the wake-up call came when he woke up to find his father in tears beside him on the bed. This pivotal moment made him realize that he couldn’t continue down the same path. Consequently, he sought help and found himself in a psychiatric ward in London, where he aimed to address his underlying issues.
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Kyrgios admitted that during that difficult period, he was engaged in destructive behaviors such as excessive drinking and drug abuse. Moreover, he acknowledged that his relationships with both family and friends were deteriorating as a result of his struggles.
Describing the immense pressure and expectations placed upon him, Kyrgios expressed his inability to cope with the spotlight, admitting, “That pressure, having that all-eyes-on-you expectation, I couldn’t deal with it. I hated the kind of person I was.”
Having previously opened up about his mental health challenges through social media and interviews, Kyrgios has faced several months of injury-related setbacks since his loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final.
This week, after a seven-month hiatus, he made his return to the elite tennis circuit at Stuttgart. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the first round.
In February, Kyrgios appeared before an Australian court and issued an apology after pleading guilty to shoving his former girlfriend to the ground in 2021. He escaped conviction for the charge of common assault.
According to Kyrgios’ psychologist, Sam Borenstein, it was confirmed in a written report and testimony that Kyrgios had experienced significant depressive episodes during the period surrounding the assault. He resorted to alcohol and drugs as a means to cope with his mental health struggles. Borenstein also noted that Kyrgios’ impulsive and reckless behavior was influenced by his mental health condition.
During the legal proceedings, a magistrate decided not to record a conviction against Kyrgios. The reasoning behind this decision included the assessment that the offense was of low severity for a common assault, lacked premeditation, and that Kyrgios had no prior criminal record.
Following the court ruling, Kyrgios, through his management company, promptly released a statement expressing remorse. He acknowledged that he was not in a good state of mind at the time of the incident and deeply regretted his reaction to the challenging situation. He conveyed his sincere apologies for the pain he caused.
In his statement, Kyrgios emphasized the challenges of mental health and acknowledged that life can often become overwhelming. However, he highlighted the importance of seeking help and working on personal growth, expressing that these actions had aided him in feeling better and becoming a better version of himself.