Andy Murray has helped save Nick Kyrgios’s life, the Australian tennis star’s mother has revealed the evening before his maiden Grand Slam final.
Nill Kyrgios, who broke down during an emotional interview with Nine News in Australia on Saturday, said that the British former No 1 noticed evidence of self-harm on Krygios’s body during training a few years ago.
Murray reportedly later expressed his concern about what he saw to the Canberran’s former manager, John Morris, before Krygios’s mother found out.
She told Nine News: “The self-harming … I saw that and people told me that.
“I asked him about it and he didn’t want to talk about it at that time. John spoke to me that Andy is worried about Nick because he can see some evidence of self-harm … And I blame others for that. For just pressuring him, criticising him. Even people we thought might be supporting him.
“That period was very hard. I just wanted to be next to him constantly so that I could see him… And if I can’t see him I worry about him so much that it becomes very difficult.”
Krygios has not shied away from his turbulent past during the Championships, admitting during a press conference last week: “There was a time where I was forced out of a pub at 4am to play Nadal in the second round [at Wimbledon].”
The 27-year-old said that he has “come a long way” and thanked the “incredible support crew” he has around him, calling out his agent, physio and girlfriend.
The Australian player has been mired in controversy since arriving at SW19 this year, particularly following Tuesday’s revelations that he will face a Canberra court in August on a domestic assault charge.
He had already been engulfed in controversy over his discipline and behaviour on court, including getting fined $10,000 after spitting towards a spectator in his first round against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
His mother has admitted that she had been unable to travel to Wimbledon to support Kyrgios during the biggest moment of his career, citing poor health, but said that she avoids watching him play on home soil too.
She told the Sydney Herald earlier this week: “I haven’t watched him play for a while, actually… I can’t expose myself to that anxiety. I go into a really strange panic.”
However, she told Nine News that she is “happy” her son has reached his maiden Grand Slam final and that she will “celebrate this occasion”.
“Whether he wins or loses, I am super proud that he made it through everything. I’m happy that he’s come out well the other end.
“You just don’t know what pressure does to people. It’s worrying for a parent,” she added.
On Sunday afternoon, Kyrgios will face the reigning champion Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final on Centre Court.
The pair have shown a budding ‘bromance’, with Djokovic joking on social media on Saturday that he accepts an invitation to drinks or dinner with his opponent, but that the “winner of tomorrow pays”.
Kyrgios responded on his Instagram: “Deal, let’s go to a nightclub and go nuts”.