Nick Kyrgios has opened up about his drinking problems leading to mental health battles in the Break Point documentary series which will launch on Netflix next week.
The controversial Australian star details the off-court battles which plagued his career in the five-part series which goes behind the scenes on the global tennis tour with the sport hoping to get a similar bump in publicity as Drive To Survive did for Formula One.
In the opening episode, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report, Kyrgios’ struggles at last year’s Australian Open are laid bare.
“The first four or five years of my career was just so chaotic,” Kyrgios says in an emotion-filled chat with his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi.
“My life was spiralling out of control – drinking every single night. I was like, ‘I can’t keep doing this. I have to be kinder to myself’.
“For my mental health, I could never be one of those players again that plays all year round. I couldn’t do that. I value my family, my close, close friends and Cossie too much to put tennis in front of that any more. I don’t think that’s healthy.
“I don’t really have expectations now in my matches any more. I just want to go out there, have fun, take the pressure off, and then we can try and live a more normal life. It’s much better like this, that’s for sure.”
His manager, Daniel Horsfall, talks about having to track down Kyrgios before matches after he had been out drinking the night before using a mobile phone app.
“I used to have your location on my phone,” Horsfall says in a conversation with Kyrgios that was filmed for the opening episode.
“On some mornings, I would physically have to go and find where you were. What hotel you were staying at, whose house you were staying at. Before tournaments … before a match.”
The 27-year-old world No.22 attracted more criticism recently when he was a late withdrawal from Australia’s team at the United Cup and then pulling out of the Adelaide International to ensure he will be fit for the Australian Open on January 16.
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic is being guarded about the hamstring scare he suffered at the Adelaide International, while his rivals ponder that injury currently looks like the only way of stopping the Serb’s extraordinary winning streak on Australian soil.
Djokovic didn’t want to go into the details of the injury that left him requiring a medical timeout in Saturday’s semi-final but still didn’t stop him rampaging past one of his biggest rivals, Daniil Medvedev, 6-3 6-4.
“Look, I’m not going to talk about it too much because I don’t think it’s appropriate. I don’t want to reveal too much of what’s happening,” said Djokovic, in one of his more cryptic moods after he’d won his 33rd straight match in Australia, a sequence stretching back five years.
“I felt a pulling on the hamstring and I needed some medical timeout and I got one. After that when the pills kicked in, I guess, after few games when it was warm enough, it felt okay.
“Let’s see how it feels when I wake up tomorrow. Obviously, playing day by day, having a little bit of an injury, it’s not ideal.
“But it’s not the first time that I get to experience specific circumstances like this one. I know what to do with my team, with my physio. Hopefully, it will feel good. Let’s see. I don’t have so much time, but I hope enough.”
Djokovic has been the master of winning tournaments while apparently nursing debilitating ailments, with his Australian Open triumph two years ago being his most celebrated triumph after he’d torn an abdominal muscle during a third-round victory against Taylor Fritz.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
On Sunday, he has only a short turnaround before facing Sebastian Korda, one of the game’s rising stars, in the evening showdown at Memorial Drive as he homes in on a 92nd career title.
But Medvedev, having lost his ninth of 13 matches against the 35-year-old, could only walk away marvelling at Djokovic’s enduring quality.
“I need to be better. That’s it,” shrugged the Russian, as he pondered the prospect of a Melbourne rematch.
“That’s the only thing I can do because sometimes he’s unstoppable. You need to play the match of your life to beat him.
“Where some other players would not be able to do it, how does he do it? No idea … Novak is different league. 21 slams, that’s all what we have to say.”
It will be a big night for Korda, the 22-year-old American son of Czech 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, who has never before played Djokovic.
And it turns out the Serb is a great admirer of the youngster’s “beautiful” game.
“One of the players that has kind of the cleanest striking technique that you can see on the tour. I mean, he’s so talented,” enthused Djokovic.
“Everything seems just effortless with him. The way he plays, the way he moves on the court, just beautiful-looking tennis …”
Before getting too carried away, Djokovic checked himself to add with a grin: “Going to try to make it ugly tomorrow!”
Djokovic has wished Carlos Alcaraz a speedy recovery after the young Spanish superstar was forced to give the Australian Open a miss with injury.
The Serbian great, whose own hopes of a record-equalling 22nd grand slam have clearly been boosted by the withdrawal of the teenage world No.1, said the young gun’s absence from Melbourne Park was “not good for tennis”.
But Djokovic is hoping the man who’s taken over his mantle as the best player in the game following his US Open triumph gets back to winning business soon.
“Obviously, it’s not good for tournament, not good for tennis,” said Djokovic on Saturday following his Adelaide International semi-final win, when asked about the 19-year-old’s Melbourne absence following the hamstring injury he suffered in pre-season training.
“He’s number one in the world. Such a young player. A big name, big star in our sport already.
“I’m sure that many of the fans are disappointed. I hope for his speedy recovery. Whatever it is, I know he had injury end of last season that was different from this.
“You’re constantly on the road, playing competitions. When you are out of that rhythm, your body can react.
“You can have some injuries and difficulties when you come back to the tour and start pushing more and playing points, giving more intensity in the points, practice points, practice matches.
“It’s unfortunate for him (but) he’s still young, got plenty of
Stefanos Tsitsipas will enter his Australian Open campaign brimming with confidence after fighting back from a set down to beat Matteo Berrettini and cap an impressive lead-in at the United Cup.
The first heavyweight men’s match of the summer lived up to the hype on Saturday as world No.4 Tsitsipas prevailed 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in Greece’s semi-final against Italy.
Tsitsipas, who has never lost to Berrettini, won all four of his United Cup singles matches.
While Greece failed to progress to the final against the United States, losing the tie 3-1 after Lucia Bronzetti put away Valentini Grammatikopoulou 6-2 6-3, Tsitsipas will enter his Melbourne Park campaign in ominous form.
The 24-year-old is attempting to break his grand slam duck this summer and delighted in his resilience against Berrettini’s fierce serve, including breaking the Italian at 3-3 in the decider.
“I had to start from returning a few balls of the serve which I was struggling with in the beginning, but somehow I hung in there,” Tsitsipas told the Nine Network.
“I was waiting for my chances. He’s a big server, we all know it, he hits some big serves consistently.
“So you have to accept a few and you have to move on from that point, concentrate on your serve.
“I played a very good game on that game that I broke, I was able to play with a lot of intensity and I think my concentration peaked at that particular game.”
It was disappointing for Berrettini, whose serve appeared in perfect nick until it let him down in the second-set tiebreak and the deciding set.
But he relished the atmosphere in Sydney and was keen to move on to the final.
“It was personally a great match, a great atmosphere,” he told reporters.
“We knew that in Australia there is a big Greek community, so we felt it yesterday.
“Obviously, when the No.1 player was playing, it was even bigger.
“Of course, I wasn’t happy at the end of the match, but the nice part about this competition, team competitions in general, is that even though you lose, you still can win the tie,” he told reporters.
“Thanks to this girl (Bronzetti) and the other teammates, I’m happy that we are gonna play the finals tomorrow.
“It was a really good match, obviously upset, but we are already thinking about the US.”
Teenage qualifier Linda Noskova is through to the Adelaide International final after pulling off a shock victory over injured top seed Ons Jabeur.
Jabeur needed a medical timeout for treatment on her back during the opening set and the world No.2 looked restricted at times on the way to a 6-3 1-6 6-3 defeat.
Noskova, an 18-year-old Czech ranked 102, will take on world No.5 Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday’s final.
Sabalenka booked her spot with a 6-3 6-2 win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
Noskova has now won six consecutive matches in only her sixth appearance in the main draw of a WTA event.
She had to save match points during qualifying just to make it to the main draw of the Adelaide International and she is now just one win away from snaring a dream WTA title.
Noskova was trying her best to stay level-headed after posting the biggest win of her career with victory over Jabeur. “Definitely a tough match. I don’t think either of us played 100 per cent,” Noskova said during her on-court interview.
“So I’m glad I had the last point to win. I’m just really glad to play like this. I’m just going for it 100 per cent all the time. It’s just in or out. I’m just trying to push through.”
Jabeur only got 50 per cent of her first serves in, and converted just two of her 12 break-point opportunities. Her 33 unforced errors also played a key role in the loss.
Earlier in the day, Sabalenka made five double-faults but finished the match with her sixth ace as she booked her spot in the decider. Sabalenka won more than 80 per cent of points on her first serve and controlled the contest from the baseline, proving far too powerful on the ground.
“I’m happy with the level I played,” Sabalenka said, having advanced to the final without dropping a set.
“She’s playing a little bit different style, so I’m super happy that I was able to win this match.”
Sabalenka is chasing her first WTA title since beating Ash Barty on clay in Madrid in May 2021.
Team USA are full of belief after completing a 5-0 semi-final drubbing of Poland to emphatically underline their United Cup title credentials.
A 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 10-6 mixed doubles victory for Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula over veteran Lukasz Kubot and teenager Alicja Rosolska rounded out another American clean sweep in Sydney.
The United States will enter Sunday’s final against either Italy having dropped only two rubbers out of 20 in their four ties so far at the new mixed teams’ event.
The tie was already sealed before the mixed after Fritz edged Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) in two tight tiebreak sets earlier on Saturday to give the Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five-rubber semi-final.
Madison Keys then routed Magda Linette 6-4 6-2 to remain unbeaten in four Cup singles matches before Fritz and Pegula rallied from a set down to complete the whitewash under a closed roof at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Team USA had enjoyed a commanding 2-0 overnight buffer after singles wins on Friday for Pegula and Frances Tiafoe.
Pegula stunned world No.1 Iga Swiatek 6-2 6-2 before Tiafoe outclassed world No.245 Kacper Zuk 6-3 6-3 to extend his undefeated record at the competition to five matches, including one mixed win with Pegula.
“It was great to get the win today to get us through,” Fritz said.
“I’ve played with Team USA a lot but I think it’s a huge advantage this time having the girls in our team because it just makes the whole team so much stronger.
“So I’m super excited going into the finals and I think we’ve been favourites all week.”
Pegula has won three straight singles matches, including her rousing victory over Swiatek, as well as four mixed encounters since dropping her opening rubber against Petra Kvitova.
But the world No.3 was still relieved to see Fritz finish off Poland and avoid a potentially nerve-wracking deciding mixed match.
“I was very stressed. I was doing the stress thing with the ball and my hands were like freaking out,” Pegula said.
“It was awesome for Taylor to clinch that in a really, really tight match against a great player.
“Kudos to him. That definitely took the pressure off the rest of us for the rest of the day.”
Italy booked their place in the title decider when Lucia Bronzetti put away Valentini Grammatikopoulou 6-2 6-3 in Saturday night’s second singles rubber to give her team an unbeatable 3-1 lead.
“It’s a special moment to bring this important point to Italy and we are in the final,” said a jubilant Bronzetti.
Italy had enjoyed a 2-0 lead entering session two of the second semi-final following singles wins on Friday night for Martina Trevisan and Lorenzo Musetti.
Trevisan upset world No.6 Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-7 (7-5) 7-5 in a three-hour, 15-minute epic before Musetti crushed world No.803 Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-1 6-1.
But steely Stefanos Tsitsipas kept Greece’s hopes flickering with a fighting 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 comeback win over Matteo Berrettini in Saturday’s first singles match of Saturday night’s session.
In the first men’s blockbuster of the summer, featuring two big-hitting grand slam runners-up, Tsitsipas broke Berrettini’s serve for the only time deep in the third set to snatch victory and keep Greece’s title hopes alive.
But world No.199 Grammatikopoulou was no match for the 54th-ranked Bronzetti.
With all four singles combatants ranked inside the world’s top 20, and three in the top 12, Team USA are the undoubted final favourites.
For starters, Berrettini surely must beat Fritz in the men’s battle of the two respective No.1s for Italy to have any hope.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Alex de Minaur has missed out on the chance of a lifetime to beat Rafael Nadal on clay in successive tournaments, blown away by…
The Spaniard scores first Top 20 win since November 2022, and reversed the result of a few weeks ago where the Australian came out…
Former Wimbledon champion, double grand slam winner and Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.…
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
The clay season promises to be one of high level and tight margins. With the Monte Carlo open just around the corner, it will…
In incredible scenes, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells was halted abruptly due to a "bee invasion." Less…
