Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has revealed he attended a “psych ward” after the 2019 Wimbledon match as he battled alcohol and drug abuse.
Warning: This story accommodates themes of self-harm and suicide. If you happen to need assistance, name Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Key factors:
Nick Kyrgios mentioned his arm was lined in self-harm scars round the 2019 tennis seasonHe mentioned that after his loss to Rafael Nadal, he went to a London hospital for psychological well being careThe Australian is getting back from a long-term knee harm, and has performed his first match this week
Talking on the Netflix documentary Break Level, the world quantity 25 mentioned he had been considering suicide earlier than attending a hospital in London to “determine my issues”.
“I used to be genuinely considering suicide,” Kyrgios mentioned.
“I misplaced at Wimbledon [to Rafael Nadal]. I awakened and my dad was sitting on the mattress, full-blown crying. That was the large wake-up name for me. I used to be like, ‘OK, I am unable to preserve doing this.'”
Kyrgios mentioned his arm was lined in scars throughout that interval in his life.
Throughout Wimbledon, he wore an extended white sleeve throughout the singles match and a sweatband throughout doubles. His arm was then step by step lined with a full sleeve tattoo over the subsequent 12 months.
If you happen to or anybody wants assist:
Lifeline on 13 11 14Children Helpline on 1800 551 800MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978Suicide Name Again Service on 1300 659 467Past Blue on 1300 224 636 or its COVID-19 assist service 1800 512 348Headspace on 1800 650 890ReachOut at au.reachout.comCare Leavers Australasia Community (CLAN) on 1800 008 774Brother to Brother on 1800 435 799
“I ended up in a psych ward in London to determine my issues,” he mentioned.
“I used to be ingesting, abusing medication, misplaced my relationship with my household, pushed all my shut mates away. You possibly can inform I used to be hurting.
“My complete arm was lined in scars. That is why I really acquired my arm sleeve. To cowl all of it. That stress, having that all-eyes-on-you expectation, I could not cope with it. I hated the type of individual I used to be.”
In February final yr Kyrgios posted on Instagram about his psychological well being, stating self-harm marks on his arm in a photograph from the Australian Open.
He mentioned he was “proud to say I’ve utterly turned myself round” and he doesn’t “take one second as a right”.
Kyrgios returned to tennis motion this week after seven months out with a knee harm, and was overwhelmed 7-5, 6-3 by China’s Yibing Wu within the first spherical in Stuttgart, with the match lasting 68 minutes.
Whereas his serve was firing properly, regardless of 4 double-faults, Kyrgios appeared reluctant to chase balls across the courtroom and by the tip was visibly troubled by his knee.
Through the changeover after the third recreation of the second set Kyrgios may very well be overheard saying to his crew, “I really feel my knee each level. I am unable to stroll with out ache,” earlier than placing his head in his arms.
“Be affected person with me my followers please,” Kyrgios tweeted after Tuesday’s match.
“It is a course of to get again to the place I used to be. I do know it is laborious so that you can see me carry out like at the moment, however I want extra time and hopefully can get again to the place I used to be.”
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