He’s one of the biggest stars of Netflix’s new behind-the-scenes tennis documentary Break Point, but Nick Kyrgios has revealed he hasn’t watched the new show.
The first episode – one of five released Friday – tracks Kyrgios in the 2022 Australian Open, where he claimed a maiden Grand Slam trophy alongside countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis.
We see a different side to Kyrgios – his relaxed side off the court, his close-knit circle of friends and family, with Kyrgios’ girlfriend Costeen Hatzi saying: “He’s not as crazy as everyone thinks he is.”
Kyrgios today said “how I’m portrayed (is) definitely not how the media has portrayed me.”
It is a refreshing insight into Kyrgios’ psyche – though one incident gives fans a little more than they bargained for. Hatzi was shown waiting for Kyrgios to complete a random drug test after his semi-final doubles win – and at one point, Kyrgios shows her his urine sample on FaceTime.
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Speaking to media on Saturday, Kyrgios revealed: “I haven’t watched it. I watched the preview obviously. Just been so busy. Like, I’ve just been doing so many things off the court. Obviously preparing for the AO.
“It’s a massive opportunity for my brand to get out there. It’s just so important for tennis. I think we’ve got so many great personalities, so many young personalities, and so many colourful athletes.
“Frances (Tiafoe), (Carlos) Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, these guys are great tennis players and great people as well. I think when the big three kind of settle down and end up retiring, it’s so important that these guys are on showcase globally.
“Tennis is one of the most global sports in the world. We need it to be successful.
“But, yeah, me, how I’m portrayed (is) definitely not how the media has portrayed me. I’m definitely a fun kid who grew up in a very quiet sort of town with my family. Yeah, it’s obviously pretty cool to see how far I’ve come, but I think the later episodes as well, following me around Wimbledon, that type of stuff, will be super exciting.
“I’m just glad that tennis is on the map again. I think it’s one of the main talking points, one of the biggest sports right now, obviously with the Netflix documentary dropping.”
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The opening episode also delves into Kyrgios’ early years on tour, revealing how his iconic win as a 19-year-old over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014 changed his life.
“He was always angry,” said his mother, Norlaila Kyrgios.
Nick himself says in an emotional conversation with Hatzi: “The first four or five years of my career was just so chaotic.
“When Horse (manager Daniel Horsfall) was on tour with me, when it was basically just him looking after me, he could just see my wellbeing just declining every week. 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’.”
Kyrgios has subsequently changed his approach, prioritising his wellbeing and reducing the number of tournaments he competes in. It paid dividends with a career-best 2022 where he reached the Wimbledon final after his doubles triumph in Melbourne.
Reflecting on his rise to being a favourite at this year’s Australian Open, Kyrgios told media on Saturday: “Yeah, I mean, obviously this time of the year is a lot for someone, a player like me, with the pressure and expectation.”
He added: “I mean, I think everyone wants to get to a position in their sport or their profession, be one of the best and have that expectation and pressure. It’s a privilege to go out there and feel that Australia wants me to win and to be one of the favourites. It’s a good feeling.
“I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wildcard. Now to see how my career has unfolded, to get to a point where everyone kind of expects me to win and go far, it’s a good feeling.”
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Despite that pressure and his busy schedule in the lead-up to the Open, Kyrgios still embraces the chance to give back to the community, like he did in Friday night’s charity event and Saturday’s Kids’ Day. “That’s always been a big priority for me,” he said. “I have this platform now where I’m able to inspire the youth, do great things with it. So, no, it’s not really taxing for me personally.
“Obviously everything takes energy. But at the same time it’s so rewarding to see, I go out there yesterday with a couple young kids, they’re posting on Instagram today saying it was the best day of their lives. It’s powerful. That’s what us as athletes can do.”
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But speaking about those outside opportunities, he delivered a brilliant quip about the Netflix series showing how far he had come.
“I’ll never slow down with that sort of stuff. That’s why I got to the position I’m in. Someone like me, you saw in the Netflix documentary, I look like a potato for the first 10 years of my life. Now to be able to do so many special things, that’s what I’m going to focus on doing,” he said with a smile.
