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Jay Shetty PodcastTennis Champion Nick Kyrgios Opens Up On His Darkest Days "No one knew..."
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WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Nick Kyrgios on media labels, mental health collapse, and finding “bonus” life
- Nick Kyrgios describes a complicated relationship with tennis, saying he doesn’t miss it when away and that time off has made him appreciate everyday life with family and his partner.
- He explains how early media branding as a “bad boy” and selective clips of his anger shaped public perception, while he feels his off-court personality is caring, generous, and reflective.
- He details a severe mental health crisis in 2019 involving alcohol, isolation, self-harm, psychiatric care, and suicidal thoughts that remained largely invisible to the public despite strong performances.
- He says support from family and a shift toward playing for fans and kids who look up to him helped him survive and reframe his life as “all a bonus.”
- He shares ongoing challenges—injury pain, exhaustion, difficulty maintaining routines, and pressure to meet expectations—while considering a shorter remaining timeline in the sport and pursuing new interests in communication and entertainment.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasTime away from tennis has made him realize he enjoys life outside the sport more than he expected.
He says he doesn’t miss tennis when he steps away, and the time off has highlighted what he’s been missing: being with his partner, family, and friends after years of traveling most of the year.
He believes media framing reduces him to a narrow on-court persona that doesn’t match who he is off-court.
He describes being labeled “bad boy” early in his tour career, and says people often only see short clips of anger (like racket-smashing) rather than the rest of a long match where he feels he’s competing respectfully.
His “darkest period” happened while his public results looked strong, which made it harder for others to see his distress.
He recounts 2019 as a period of heavy drinking, self-harm, psychiatric care in London, and suicidal thoughts, while still performing well publicly—creating a “paradox” where outsiders assumed he was fine.
Support systems and a sense of responsibility to others became central to him getting through the worst moments.
He says family and close supporters “stood by” him through reckless behavior and that he likely “owes them” his life; he also describes shifting his motivation toward fans and kids who look up to him (including a Make-A-Wish child he met).
He views the ‘villain’ persona as both marketable and personally draining.
He says he consciously “played the character” because it sold tickets and attracted brands, but found it exhausting and dehumanizing—likening it at times to feeling like a “circus animal.”
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesI literally wanted to end my life, and now I'm just here and enjoying it. So- ... everything's just, it's all a bonus.
— Nick Kyrgios
I had to wear an arm sleeve on the, on center court at Wimbledon, and no one knew any of these problems.
— Nick Kyrgios
My whole life now revolves around what I've achieved on the court, but then if I could do it again, I, I wouldn't ever wanna pick up a racket.
— Nick Kyrgios
I feel like a circus animal a little bit.
— Nick Kyrgios
Before you criticize someone, you have to do what they do for one day.
— Nick Kyrgios
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SPEAKERS
Nick Kyrgios
guestAustralian professional tennis player and Wimbledon finalist known for his on-court intensity and candid discussions of mental health.
Jay Shetty
hostHost of the On Purpose podcast and author who interviews guests about purpose, wellbeing, and personal growth.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
