Nick Kyrgios considered 'suicide' after Wimbledon loss to Rafael Nadal in 2019

Nick Kyrgios has revealed he wanted to "commit suicide" after his elimination from Wimbledon in 2019.

Ahead of Wimbledon 2023, Kyrgios has opened up on his tough phase four years ago, when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the second round at the All England Club. The loss left him so devastated that he was forced to seek help in a psychiatric hospital in London.

Nick Kyrgios' "big wake-up call"

The 28-year-old Aussie tennis star has also revealed that he later got a sleeve tattoo on his right arm to cover up marks of self-harm. Seeing his father crying over his mental health issues was a "big wake-up call" for the tennis player to take action, and to not let the situation go further out of hand for himself.

"I was drinking, abusing drugs, I hated the kind of person I was. I lost at Wimbledon. I woke up and my dad was sitting on the bed, full-blown crying. That was the big wake-up call for me. I was like, OK, I can't keep doing this. I ended up in a psych ward in London to figure out my problems," Kyrgios said in Netflix's documentary Break Point, which covers his run to the 2022 final.

Last year, in February, Kyrgios shared a post on Instagram about his mental health, saying he had "suicidal thoughts" and "struggled to get out of bed" in 2019, pointing out self-harm marks on his arm in a photo from the Australian Open.

"I was genuinely contemplating if I wanted to commit suicide," Kyrgios said in the documentary, which is due to be released on Netflix later this month.

"That pressure, having that 'all eyes on you' expectation, I couldn't deal with it. I hated the kind of person I was. I lost my relationship with my family, and pushed all my close friends away. You could tell I was hurting. My whole arm was covered in scars. That's why I actually got my arm sleeve, to cover it all," the 28-year-old tennis player added.

Kyrgios' self-harm marks

Kyrgios ended the same Instagram post by saying how "proud" he was for turning himself around and that he doesn't "take one moment for granted".

"I'm proud to say I've completely turned myself around and have a completely different outlook on everything, I don't take one moment for granted. I want you to be able to reach your full potential and smile. This life is beautiful," wrote Kyrgios before having a memorable year.

From struggling to face his situation following his second-round elimination from Wimbledon in 2019 to making it to the final of the coveted tournament in 2022, Kyrgios knew he had come a long way. It was still a big massive moment in Kyrgios' career and life, even though he ended up losing the final to Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios went one step ahead in the next tournament, which was an ATP 500 event in Washington. Kyrgios lifted the trophy by defeating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets in the final. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury which saw him undergo surgery to repair a small tear in his left lateral meniscus in January.

On Tuesday, the Australian player made a comeback to the court as he competed in the ATP 250 Stuttgart Open. However, he lost to China's Wu Yibing in the opening round.

Earlier it was reported that Kyrgios was forced to skip the French Open due to an injury he sustained while helping his mother who was threatened at gunpoint by a man in Canberra.

The man stole Kyrgios' Tesla and he chased after the suspect. While Kyrgios did not realise it during the incident, he later found out that he had cut his foot while helping his family as he was tracking down the alleged thief by using the Tesla app. The application allowed Kyrgios to slow down the vehicle and police managed to arrest the man.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts about suicide, the Samaritans provide a free support service for those who need to talk to someone in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Visit Samaritans.org or call 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visit this website to find a support phone number in your country.