Suicidal Nick Kyrgios admitted to psychiatric ward after 2019 Wimbledon loss

Tennis

From Daniel Joseph

June 14, 2023 | 10:04

Nick Kyrgios has revealed that he has hit rock bottom and was checked into a London psychiatric ward due to suicidal thoughts following a second round loss at Wimbledon in 2019.

The controversial Australian tennis star delved deeper into her mental health battles during the second part of the Netflix docuseries Break Point, according to reports.

I was really thinking about whether I want to commit suicide, Kyrgios said in the sixth episode, titled Belonging, which will be released on June 21st.

Kyrgios lost a tight four-set match to Rafael Nadal, but the loss had a far greater impact on him than his career best.

I lost at Wimbledon. I woke up and my dad was sitting on the bed, crying full blown. This was the big wake-up call for me. I was like, OK, I can’t keep doing this. I ended up in a psychiatric ward in London to figure out my problems, said Kyrgios, who also starred in the first part of Break Point, which was released in January.

The 10-year-old pro had been dealing with mental health issues prior to his hospitalization, so much so that he said while playing Wimbledon that year, he wore a sleeve to cover signs of self-harm.

If you look closely, you can see my self-harm on my right arm, said Kyrigos, now 28, in an Instagram post last year.

I was having suicidal thoughts and was literally struggling to get out of bed, let alone play in front of millions of people.

According to Kyrgios, playing Wimbledon in 2019 was the nadir of his career due to the pressure and expectations that came with it not only from fans and the media, but also from himself.

During the episode, Kyrgios also talked about playing Wimbledon last year, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final.

If I win Wimbledon, it’s like a middle finger for everyone, Kyrgios said ahead of the 2022 tournament. I’m here to prove I’m one of the best players in the world. They say, “He can beat anyone, but he can’t be consistent enough to push for a Grand Slam.” I just want to shut everyone up.

Kyrgios said he has found mental stability since that frightening moment, during which he claimed to have abused alcohol and drugs.

After missing the Australian Open this year with a knee injury, Kyrgios also suffered a foot injury when his Tesla was stolen and his mother was held at gunpoint during a harrowing crash last month that forced him to withdraw from the French Open.

He returned to action on Tuesday, losing to Wu Yibing at the Stuttgart Open.

Kyrgios looks on track to be ready for Wimbledon, which kicks off on July 3 in London.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for a free and confidential crisis counseling. 7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.