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Tennis star Nick Kyrgios drank heavily early in his career.
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The Australian spoke openly about his drinking problems and mental health struggles during the first episode of Breaking Point, a 10-part Netflix tennis documentary. During a conversation with his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, and manager, Daniell Horsfall, Kyrgios spoke about how the first five years of his tennis career were “terrible mess”.
Kyrgios said that while Horsfall was looking after him on tour, his manager “could have seen my mental health decline every week.”
“My life spiraled out of control – drinking every night,” the 27-year-old said, per New York Post.
Horsfall said he remembers having to look up his star client several times after a night out, noting he tracked down Kyrgios through his phone and “will physically find out where you are” – whether it’s at a hotel or at the house he’s stayed at previously. upcoming match.
“That’s tough,” Horsfall said.
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Kyrgios said his relationship with tennis changed because of his struggles and he realized he needed to be “better” to himself for his mental health. He said he couldn’t be “one of the players” competing all year round and that he valued family, friends, and Hatzi more than the sport.
“I don’t really have expectations right now with my match,” Kyrgios said. “I just want to go out there and have fun, take the pressure off and then we can live a more normal life. Much better this way, that’s for sure.”
Kyrgios has also admitted that he has a short fuse, noting he would “lose my shit” at the slightest detail.
“I just got a short fuse. It’s almost like a habit,” he said.
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She says her life changed after beating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014. She let her passion for tennis get the better of her, leading to frustration and devastation on the court, such as the incident at the 2022 US Open where she was fined $32,500 for destroying her racket after her quarter-final loss to Karen Khachanov from Russia.
“In the heat of battle, I am two different people,” admits Kyrgios. “Sometimes I cross the line, it’s just my passion, it’s just my emotion. Millions of people are watching you and you are not playing your best. Won’t you be frustrated and angry?”
Breaking Point premieres January 13 on Netflix with five episodes. The remaining episodes will follow in June.
