How tennis legend Andy Murray spotted signs of Nick Kyrgios self harm’

Nick Kyrgios has thanked tennis legend Andy Murray for helping him fight his mental demons after noticing signs of self-harm on the Aussie star.

Nick Kyrgios has spoken out about his struggles with his mental health and his self-harming during the toughest time of his life and career.

In a searingly honest interview with UK Talk TV broadcaster Piers Morgan, Kyrgios spoke about the darkest times of his career when his mental health spiralled downward and he was drinking every night while playing.

The Aussie star revealed, among other things, that British tennis legend Andy Murray realised something was wrong with Kyrgios, when he noticed indications of self harm.

Morgan and Kyrgios have sparred openly at times on social media and the Aussie tennis star was just as honest during the pair’s chat.

When asked by Morgan about the time he hit “absolute rock bottom”, Kyrgios replied:

“I don’t think there was one select moment.

“I think it was just all a year and a half to two years of just complete harm. It was pretty dark, to be honest. I won tournaments you know on the professional tour, drinking every night, self-harming.

Nick Kyrgios chats to Piers Morgan. Picture: Supplied

“It was burning things on my arm, cutting myself for fun and, I had people around me saying this is not normal behaviour. I did have people around me that were caring, but it was almost the more I kept doing it, it became an addiction of love, pain.

“I hated myself. I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios. I hated going to places and tournaments and no one actually wanted to talk to me at face value. They just wanted me to be ‘the entertainer’ or the ‘crazy Nick Kyrgios’. So I didn’t feel like who I actually was of any worth, and it just got out of control.

“But then, you know, I somehow dug myself out of the hole. So nothing you say on Twitter can faze me, Piers. Nothing.”

Kyrgios spoke with UK Talk TV broadcaster Piers Morgan. Picture: Supplied

Kyrgios said fellow tennis professional Andy Murray was one person who noticed what was going on.

“Andy was always a big supporter of me as soon as I came on the tour,” Kyrgios said.

“He was always someone that was looking out for me and wanted the best for me.

“He saw it and he said, ‘Well, what’s that on your arm’? And it was pretty bad at that stage … These are people in the locker room. So I’d be in the locker room and people would be able to see my self harm. So I could only imagine what people would think when they were actually versing me on the tennis court. They’re like, ‘Wow, this guy’s mentally in a storm at the moment and he’s still trying to play’.

“And it would have been alarming for some of these players to have seen it and 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. And obviously, I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.”

Twitter exchange between Piers Morgan and Nick Kyrgios after his loss to Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

‘LOOK, WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT’

Kyrgios said that support from Murray and a frank conversation with himself, helped to turn things around.

“At the end of the day, you can have everyone around you telling you which direction to go, but if you don’t think that’s the right way, then you’re not going to get out of it,” he said.

“And I just had a conversation with myself and I was like, ‘Look, we got to do something about it’.

Andy Murray realised something was up. Picture: Getty

“So I just tried little bit, by little bit, just to get some good habits, make some right choices.

“Last year was the best year, arguably the best year of my career and nearly won a Grand Slam. I had the third best season on the planet and just from where I was to that, it was so emotional for me personally because I just didn’t think it was possible.

“I thought my time had gone where I’d have success off the court and on the court. I had a great partner, I had a great friendship group and had amazing success in it. I’d never thought it was possible to be this happy, but I think that it’s just more, I think, it was me just day by day making the right choices.”

TeKyrgios and his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi

Kyrgios also paid tribute to his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi for her help.

“Me and Cos me, we’ve almost been together for two years,” he said.

“Life with her has been amazing. I feel like, you know you love someone when you’ve been given a bit of adversity. We travelled the world together, we had airports, we had delays, you know, things that have come from the baggage that I’ve brought into the relationship. She’s dealt with it amazingly. And we just get along well. Everything’s easy with her.”

‘IT’S STILL VERY RAW’

In the Talk TV interview with Morgan, Kyrgios also touched on the time when his mother Norlaila was alleged held at gunpoint during the theft of his Telsa in Canberra in May.

“Thinking about that moment it’s still very raw,” he said.

“That’s something that I never thought my career would bring would be people, you know, [allegedly] coming to my doorstep where my family have lived for 30 plus years and [allegedly] holding a gun to my mum and ask for a car.

Nick Kyrgios' Tesla was allegedly stolen at gunpoint. Picture: Instagram

“But the trauma that you’ve left on my mum and our family is I think you can’t heal ever from something like that.

“My career has brought me many beautiful things and the platform I have to help people is amazing. But these are things that I have to deal with that the majority of humans don’t deal with and it’s been really hard for the family to get over that.

“It was just a horrific morning to be honest, I just remember my mum screaming and I rushed to the front door, cut my foot on something, and it was just gushing out blood. And it was a disaster. But we’re a strong contingent and we’re going to get through it. And my mum’s …. seeing people to help her mental state over it still and you know, she’ll be fine.”