An emotional Nick Kyrgios described reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final as a moment he “never thought” would come after a battle with suicidal thoughts, self-harm and depression.
After a hugely impressive straight sets win over Cristian Garin earned him a l ast-four showdown with Rafael Nadal, the Australian revealed he had almost quit the sport during his dark days.
Kyrgios, 27, said: “There was a point where I was almost done with the sport. Obviously I posted this year about the kind of mental state I was in in 2019 when I was at the Australian Open with self-harm and suicidal thoughts and stuff.
“Now, I’m sitting there today after the match ... to be a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, it's a special accomplishment for everyone but I think especially for me.
“If you asked anyone if I was able to do that the last couple years, I think everyone would have probably said ‘no - he doesn't have the mental capacity, he doesn't have the fitness capacity, he doesn't have the discipline, all that.
“I almost started doubting myself with all that traffic coming in and out of my mind. I never thought that I would be here. The ship, I thought, had sailed.
“So, after everything I've overcome, I'm feeling really, really proud of myself.”
For all the controversy surrounding Kyrgios, his temperament actually appears to be getting better as the Championships are progressing and he insisted the court summons on allegations of domestic assault have not been a distraction.
He said: “It didn't really affect my preparation at all. Obviously seeing it, I'm only human. It was hard. It was hard to just focus on the mission at hand. But it was the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and I know, deep down, that's what I was prepared for.”
It certainly did not seem to affect Kyrgios, who said he had been advised not to comment further on the prospective court appearance.
Against the tricky Chilean, Kyrgios barely put a racket wrong and will now take on Nadal in what should be one of THE box-office sporting occasions of the summer.
Do you think Nick Kyrgios will defeat Novak Djokovic and reach Wimbledon final? Let us know in the comments section.
Kyrgios certainly thinks it will be, saying: “It will be pretty special to play Rafa here. We've had some absolute battles on that Centre Court. He's won one against me, and I've won one against him.
Obviously, we are two completely different personalities. I feel like we respect the hell out of each other, though.
“I feel like it will be a mouth-watering kind of encounter for everyone around the world. It will probably be the most-watched match of all time. I would argue that.”
That might be pushing it a touch, Nick, but it is certainly one not to be missed.
