"I think men around my age really struggle to open up; Naomi Osaka helped me a lot with that" - Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios credited Naomi Osaka for helping him open up about his mental health troubles during the "Conversation with Champions" panel ahead of the 2022 US Open.
Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Rafael Nadal were also part of the panel alongside Osaka and Kyrgios on Thursday.
Speaking to panel hosts Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer, Nick Kyrgios revealed that he has been plagued by mental health issues since the early stages of his tennis career.
"I actually struggled early with mental health and there were times in my tennis career where I was really struggling," Nick Kyrgios revealed. "I wasn't sure if I was okay to feel that way."
The Aussie highlighted how interacting with and doing a podcast with Naomi Osaka helped both of them overcome their demons.
"But then, actually, I met Naomi," Kyrgios further explained. "We did a podcast together, and she kind of opened up."
Stressing how men struggle to open up about their mental struggles, Kyrgios credited Osaka for helping him avoid that path.
"I deal with messages every day with people who are reaching out and I try to respond to as many people as I can," Kyrgios said. "I think men around my age really struggle to open up. Can't feel weak... [Naomi Osaka] helped me a lot with that."
"Wow, there's another tennis player as great as the champion Naomi Osaka is, that was also going through that" - Nick Kyrgios on the Japanese's decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open
During the interaction, Nick Kyrgios explained that Naomi Osaka's decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open due to her mental health troubles filled him with a lot of courage and inspiration.
The four-time Major champion initially announced she would skip obligatory media duties at Roland Garros due to mental health issues. But Osaka withdrew from the tournament altogether once the tournament slapped her with a fine and threatened dire consequences.
"That kind of opened my eyes saying, 'Wow, there's another tennis player as great as the champion she is, that was also going through that,'" Kyrgios said of Osaka. "Made me feel more comfortable to open up about it."
In response to Kyrgios, Osaka admitted that opening up about her issues was "really difficult." However, the Japanese is glad she did, seeing how it helped other people with similar issues.
"It was definitely really difficult for me, but it made it worth it to see that a lot of people had similar feelings and that they were glad I opened up about it," the four-time Grand Slam champ said at the forum. "I think in the moment it was really hard, but seeing how it helped people made it worth it."