Nick Kyrgios has expressed heartfelt sympathy for Emma Raducanu as she continues to struggle following her historic 2021 US Open victory, admitting he feels sorry for the youngster.
The Briton has struggled for consistency ever since her remarkable win at Flushing Meadows nearly four years ago.
Kyrgios told talkSPORT: "My heart does go out to her."
The Australian observed a stark contrast between Raducanu's demeanour during her breakthrough triumph and her current state.
Nick Kyrgios has expressed heartfelt sympathy for Emma Raducanu as she continues to struggle following her historic 2021 US Open victory, admitting he feels sorry for the youngster
|PA
"I look at that run, I was watching it on TV, she was smiling and enjoying her tennis so much and that whole two weeks for her was an incredible journey and she then won the US Open," he said.
"But since then, I've seen her kind of enjoy her tennis, but I've never really seen her smile and really enjoy it as she did when she won the tournament."
The former world No 13 highlighted the immense external pressures facing Raducanu since her Grand Slam breakthrough.
Emma Raducanu will be hoping to win Wimbledon this summer
| REUTERS"Whether or not that it's external pressure, I don't know what's going on, but at the end of the day, we play sport because we love it and we go out there because we want to compete and entertain people," Kyrgios added.
"For someone like Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu, who won a Grand Slam at a young age... what comes with that is a lot of sponsorships, a lot of brand deals, but also a lot of crazy people.
"Stalkers, people that are betting on her... it's a lot for her to have on her shoulders in this day and age."
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll set for major relationship challenge that affects daughter Poppy
Kyrgios drew parallels with his own mental health struggles, revealing the extent of his personal challenges during his career.
Speaking candidly, he disclosed that he was once sent to a psychiatric ward before a match against Rafael Nadal.
The revelation underscores the severe psychological pressures faced by professional tennis players at the highest level.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
"I hope that she figures out what's wrong and what's going on there, I hope she finds the answers, but I completely understand," Kyrgios said of Raducanu's situation.
He acknowledged the territory that comes with professional sport, stating: "Sometimes it just comes with the territory, you can't ignore it.
"You can see how much of a toll it takes on her.
Emma Raducanu has struggled since winning the 2021 US Open at the age of 18 | PA"She loses a match and you can see she's already probably thinking about the negativity that's coming.
"I don't have the answer for it, I deal with it as well, when I lose, I'm feeling with all these people that are abusing us in chats and I don't know what the solution is.
"It's very hard, the one solution is to maybe not manage your accounts, but these days these athletes have so much going on that you have to be in touch with it as well."