Nick Kyrgios has thanked Andy Murray for his help and support when he noticed that the Australian was self-harming.
Murray questioned Kyrgios following a practice session in which he noticed signs of self-harm and reportedly notified the Australian’s then manager, John Morris.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV, Kyrgios said: “Andy was always a big supporter of me. As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing.
“Then he realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path but he was always someone that was looking out for me.
“He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, ‘what’s that on your arm?’ It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it.
"But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen. Obviously, I’m very thankful. I thank him. A lot.
“I think it was a year-and-a-half to two years of just complete harm. It was pretty dark to be honest. I hated myself, I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios.”
Kyrgios has been more open in recent times about his mental health struggles and self-harm. And he told Morgan that he was relishing the number of people he had been able to help by being so open.
“I feel like I’ve helped so many people after I opened up about it and put it on social media,” he said. “I’ve almost been a beacon for people who are struggling.
"When they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they’re going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I’m relatable. That’s been the most powerful thing in my career, people coming to me with genuine issues.
“They send me photos in my Instagram, direct messages, self-harming and genuinely wanting to commit suicide. I have conversations with these people. Sometimes, I’ve had phone calls with these people. That’s making a real difference and I’m just really proud.”
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
