Nick Kyrgios has opened up about how his mental health problems led him to regularly drink between 20 and 30 alcoholic drinks a day, even just before going out to face 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.
The 29-year-old Australian tennis star claimed he still gave the Spaniard “a run for his money” during their encounter at Wimbledon in 2019, despite claiming he had been “drinking like a fish” the night before.
In a wide-ranging interview about the British journalist The Louis Theroux PodcastKyrgios revealed the extent of his alcohol consumption during that period before explaining that he had checked himself into a psychiatric clinic before facing Nadal at Wimbledon.
You’ve gone through periods of extreme depression, self-harm, and even, I’ve read, suicidal ideation. Was 2019 the worst year? The broadcaster asked the tennis star about Louis Theroux’s podcast on Spotify.
“Yes, that was a bad period,” Kyrgios responded.
“I was just struggling to be who I was, it was difficult at the time and I didn’t feel like I could take a step back from the sport and work on myself and get myself in the right mental space.”
‘I was just playing and playing and playing and dealing with everything. And it was a dark time. Like I was drinking and I was losing control and I kept playing and traveling. It was a lot.’
Kyrgios went on to reveal that he would have “20 and 30 drinks” a night.
Nick Kyrgios (pictured) revealed he drank up to 30 drinks in a night when going through an exceptionally difficult period in 2019.
The 29-year-old (pictured with teammate Costeen Hatzi) told Louis Theroux that he spent time in a mental health facility just before facing Rafael Nadal at the All England Club.
Theroux, stunned by the revelation, asked: ‘In one night?’
“Easy,” Kyrgios replied, adding: “I’d drink like a fish.”
‘What was your favorite drink?’ Theroux asked.
The tennis star replied: ‘Anything… vodka. Anything.’
‘Right, so it wasn’t just drinking, it was like being fully charged?’ Theroux asked.
Kyrgios gave a rather remarkable response, telling the journalist: “Yes, but then wake up and play Nadal the next day.”
Give it a good run for its money. It was quite hectic.’
Over the years, Kyrgios and Nadal faced off in multiple exciting and exciting battles. They were also involved in a heated war of words at the 2019 Mexico Open in which Nadal claimed his opponent had “disrespected” him.
The Australian would lose their match at Wimbledon in 2019, but claimed he had sought professional help in the days before facing the Spaniard, revealing he left a mental health facility to play against Nadal.
‘You got help at one point, right?’ Theroux asked. ‘You, in fact, were institutionalized, if I can put it that way…did you do any residential treatment?’
Kyrgios admitted he was “out of control” and would drink “anything” at the time.
Louis Theroux (pictured) expressed disbelief that the Australian maverick fired doctors who told him to remain in a mental health facility so he could return to court the next day.
‘Yeah, well, I did it for one day and then I had to play Nadal the next day. “So I didn’t really have time up my sleeve,” he added.
‘So you went straight from, was it some kind of clinic, a hospital, some kind of rehab?’ Theroux said.
Kyrgios replied: ‘Yes, it was like that. Well, they wanted me to stay for a while, but I said, “I have other tasks I need to accomplish.”
“That’s crazy,” Theroux said, before Kyrgios added: “Although I almost caught him (Nadal). I almost beat him.
Kyrgios had beaten Nadal in Mexico earlier in the year, but was unable to defeat the Spaniard in London, suffering a 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 defeat. Despite their battles over the years, Kyrgios recently praised Nadal after the Spaniard announced his retirement.
He has only played once professionally in the last two years, and the Australian suffered a series of injuries, including a torn knee ligament and a torn wrist ligament, which kept him sidelined for all of 2024.
—Do you feel in a good place now in general? Theroux asked again.
“No, I mean, I fight that most days,” Kyrgios responded.
‘I don’t wake up feeling amazing… I feel like I now know my steps to get me out of my bad thoughts.
‘I feel like I could go back to those habits in an instant. That’s what it feels like. I feel like I could do those things, but I don’t want to.
Kyrgios (pictured last month) is not out of the woods when it comes to his mental health, admitting he still has to fight his demons “most days”.
‘As before, I had no resistance. I don’t want to do that now.’
Theroux pressed Kyrgios about drinking on the ATP tour, asking him if he would end up drinking alone or if other players would join him.
Kyrgios replied: “Most of the time, yes.” Sometimes if another player or something wanted to, but rarely, very rarely.
Andy Murray said he had “taken the Australian star” under his wing when he noticed the 29-year-old had gone through periods of self-harm.
Kyrgios even wore a sleeve over his forearms at Wimbledon to cover some of his scars.
‘(Did you feel at that moment that this was another way to relieve your stress?’ Theroux asked.
Kyrgios replied: ‘No, it was horrible. I mean, I almost like feeling that way. And that’s when I knew I had to get out of this.”
Last year, Kyrgios immersed himself in media and broadcasting work and was impressed with its ideas.
He joined Eurosport earlier this year for its Australian Open coverage before working with the BBC at Wimbledon.
The Australian recently revealed his plan to return to the sport, stating that he wants to “shut people up” by winning a Grand Slam title.
He is scheduled to make his long-awaited return at the World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi this December.