Nick Kyrgios beat Rafael Nadal as a teenager but said he struggled to cope with the limelight and would drink five to six times a week; The Australian revealed that he would have retired if he won Wimbledon last year.
Sunday 5 March 2023 14:31, UK
Nick Kyrgios has revealed that he used to drink "five to six times a week" while competing, as he opened up about the pressure of being a tennis prodigy.
The Wimbledon finalist enjoyed a successful 2022, which almost saw him win his first Grand Slam, but struggled with the game in the early part of his career.
Kyrgios turned professional as a teenager and burst onto the scene after beating Rafael Nadal as a 19-year-old in a fourth-round epic at Wimbledon.
"I didn't reach the heights as quickly as people [expected], and then it was like 'Kyrgios is a waste of talent' and it spiralled out of control," he said on Logan Paul's Impaulsive podcast.
"It was hard to deal with. It happened overnight, when I beat Nadal. People were camping outside of my house and I didn't know how to deal with it.
"About three or four years ago, I reckon I was drinking five to six times a week and still competing at the highest level, which was really unhealthy. It's just not sustainable.
"I was waking up and facing Nadal and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas and those guys. I won a tournament doing it, and it was the worst I had ever been. Now I am more under control."
The Australian's 2023 season was delayed by an injury that forced him out of the Australian Open, but he thinks he can still win a Grand Slam, but reiterated that he would step away from tennis if he did.
"I think I can win the Grand Slam. I was two sets away, but it's weird, it's not for me. It's for everyone else. I could finally just rest," he said.
"That [2022 Wimbledon final] was my chance. If I won, I would have retired, at least for a year or two. It's more of a hobby for me.
"I would chill at home, I love gaming. I'm pretty impulsive on the court, I have a lot of ups and downs. It's almost impossible.
"Everything is done solo. It's boxing without contact. For me, you lose every week in tennis, so it's hard. There is only one winner every week, it's brutal."
