Ex-Wimbledon champion Nick Kyrgios reveals he’d ‘down 20 to 30 drinks a NIGHT then play Rafael Nadal the next day’

NICK KYRGIOS has revealed he would "down 20 to 30 drinks" the night before some of his biggest matches.

The Aussie ace has been dubbed a tennis "bad boy" for his controversial behaviour on court from sensational X-rated rants to trash-talking opponents.

4

4

4

Kyrgios, who won junior Wimbledon twice and made the men's singles final in 2022, has not played a competitive match since summer last year due to injuries.

And he has also battled mental health problems, telling he was in a bad state in 2019.

Kyrgios said: "I was just struggling with being who I was, it was hard at that time and I didn't feel like I could take a step back from the sport and kind of work on myself and get myself in the right headspace.

"I was just playing and playing and playing and kind of dealing with everything.

READ MORE IN TENNIS

RAD MOVE

Raducanu boards London bus after having Porsche 'taken back' by car manufacturer

NEW BALLS PLEASE

‘I almost lost my testicle after match… I was hours away from amputation'

"It was a dark time. I was drinking and I was spiralling out of control and I was continuing to play and travel. It was a lot."

Asked how many drinks he would have, Kyrgios added: "20 or 30 drinks, easy, I’d drink like a fish. 

"But then just wake up and play Rafa Nadal the next day. Give him a good run for his money."

Kyrgios would do most of his drinking alone and further struggles saw him turn to self-harm.

Most read in Sport

BAILED OUT!

Ian Botham saved by Aussie rival Merv Huges after fall into croc-infested river

Garna be angry

Garnacho snaps back in altercation with Man Utd fan

FOOTIE PROBE

FA launches investigation into Premier League boss over child sex abuse case

HOSPITAL DASH

Alvaro Morata rushed to hospital after ex-Chelsea star suffers horror injury

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.

He explained that Andy Murray was one of the people who spotted cuts on his arms and offered him support.

The 29-year-old would then play some of the world's best players, having come straight out a rehab facility and with a sleeve on so nobody else noticed his marks.

Kyrgios, who was once ranked at world No13, is currently without a world ranking as he has not played in over a year and has ventured into commentary and punditry.

He plans to be back on the court in the near future but does not see himself having a lengthy career like Nadal or Murray.

He said: "I could come back now and beat 50 per cent of players but I don't want to do that because my fans deserve a better version of myself that I am now on the court. 

"I don't want to just participate and I know the world's not going to be nice on me when I come back.

"They're going to all of a sudden forget that I was out for a year and a half with injuries.

"They're just going to think that it's the Nick Kyrgios that has all the expectation again. So when he loses, it's not okay.

"I look at how Andy Murray's doing it, and how Rafa is going out, I don't want to be like that either, I don't want to be kind of crawling to the finish line in a sense.

"What Murray's achieved in this sport is second to basically no one, unless you're Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Nadal, the next person is Murray.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

GRIM FIND

Mystery as 'human remains' found in field with cops probing 'unexplained' death

GONE TOO SOON

Girl, 9, drowned in bath after mum left her to look for her favourite toy

"It's like you've achieved everything. You deserve to go out a little bit more gracefully than he has done.

"I think the surgeries, the pain, it's just not worth it, in my opinion."

4