?I Had to Fix a Lot of Relationships? – Nick Kyrgios Says He Faced Constant Negativity From Media

Nick Kyrgios has had a turbulent career filled with highs and lows. A talented player, Kyrgios was often called out for his on-court antics. However, the Australian has overcome his past to make a great start to the 2022 season.

Kyrgios began the year by clinching the Australian Open men’s doubles title, the biggest win of his career. Further, he had a respectable finish at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The 26-year-old reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal clash.

Kyrgios is in Miami to participate at the Miami Open. The Australian has reached the pre-quarterfinals and is looking in great form. Further, he opened up on how he battled negative emotions to make a strong comeback on the tour.

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Nick Kyrgios talks about negativity in his life

During a post-match press conference in Miami, Kyrgios spoke about the time when things were not going his way. He said, “I don’t really want to talk about it over and over again. I was going through my own problems that were bringing me into some dark places that everyone kind of deals with, I think, at some stage. I guess it was a combination of everything.”

Further, Kyrgios added, “You know, I remember I did a podcast with Naomi, Billie Jean, and Mardy Fish in New York, and we spoke about how Naomi kind of pulled the pin at that French Open when she was dealing with all that negative kind of emotion, and, you know, when she just kind of pulled the pin, I related to that.”

Talking about the mental stress he faced, Kyrgios said, “I felt like I constantly played so much under that mental stress and negativity that I genuinely just couldn’t function anymore with the pressures. I couldn’t function with the negativity. Every day was just constant negativity from you guys, from eventually my family, eventually from my friends, from everyone. There was no positivity, and it was just eating me up and I just genuinely hated my life.”

How did he battle negative emotions?

Overcoming negativity in life isn’t easy but Kyrgios fought through this phase of his life. Speaking on this, he said, “So, you know, it’s taken a long time, and obviously I’m just towards a point where I’m just happy now. I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve got a beautiful girlfriend. My best friend is here. I’m playing some great tennis. I just try and stay in the moment, stay on my feet or in the present. I think of all those mistakes that I have made prior. There is no time for regret for me, and I just get on with it now. I just try and be positive, try and help others, and try and uplift.”

Furthermore, he said, “That’s it. I understand I’m a bit of a role model for the younger generation, so I’m always trying to be better in that sort of part of my life as well. But, I mean, it took a while. Like I had to fix it myself, you know. There is always people kind of there that never left that were trying to put me right back on track, but it had to come from me. I had to fix a lot of relationships and just live a healthier lifestyle. Sounds simple, but it was hard.”

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Kyrgios battled past the likes of Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini, storming his way into the last-16 of the Miami Open. He is yet to drop a set in Miami and appears to be in ominous form. In the pre-quarterfinals, he’ll be up against the ninth seed, Jannik Sinner, of Italy. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this encounter.