Nick Kyrgios Opens up on Battle With Depression, Reveals Thought of Quitting Sport Before ATP Cup

Australia’s controversial Tennis star – Nick Kyrgios on Sunday made a big revelation and admitted being in a ‘lonely, dark place’ during recent years as he battled depression sparked by the relentless grind of the Tennis tour. Kyrgios says he was already considering taking a year off from tennis before the COVID-19 pandemic and a complete shutdown provided him with the ‘perfect’ opportunity for a reset. The temperamental Tennis ace is one of the biggest drawcards in the world of Tennis but has also faced intense criticism for his on-court antics, with a long list of misdemeanours to his name.

Kyrgios combustible antics, include an explosive racquet-smashing and expletive-ridden meltdown at last year’s Cincinnati Masters that saw him put on probation by the ATP.

“I was thinking maybe it was time for me to just take a year off,” Kyrgios said in a typically frank interview in Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald.

“I couldn’t look at a tennis court. I had no happy feelings. I had no desire to be out there. I had no motivation. I had no need for growth out there.”

“I was just going through the motions. It wasn’t making me happy. If anything it was decreasing my energy. It was a negative impact on my life.”

The 25-year-old last played a competitive match in early February in Acapulco after deciding to remain at home in Australia when the circuit resumed in Europe and North America.

The 25-year-old, who has previously said that he does not have a passion for tennis, said he was considering a lengthy spell away from the game after seeing a psychiatrist before the start of the season.

But the world number 45 has not regrets about missing out on playing competitive tennis and feels that the “unfortunate circumstances” of the global health crisis could not have suited him better.

“This time has been perfect. I’ve had it off where I can completely reset and dabble in a couple of areas where my passion was, be back in my community, be back in my home and just get a complete reset. That’s what I was thinking about doing,” Kyrgios added.

Kyrgios once said he would quit tennis altogether at the age of 27 and, while not ruling out an early retirement, thinks he will probably play on longer.

“I feel I still have plenty more in the tank. I could play past that if I wanted to. We’ll see. Someone could call it tomorrow, you know what I mean? Something can happen where you don’t want to play anymore. I wouldn’t say I’m putting a number on it at the moment,” he said.