Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios arrives at the ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra on February 3, 2023. Photo credit: AP
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend on February 3, 2023, but a magistrate avoided sentencing, calling it “a mere act of stupidity”.
A Canberra magistrate dismissed the assault charge against the 27-year-old Australian player.
Appearing in a Canberra court, the Wimbledon finalist admitted assaulting then-girlfriend Chiara Passari on January 10, 2021, by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.
Lawyers told the court that Passari filed a police complaint 10 months later, when they had broken up.
In a statement read to the court, Passari said she was left traumatized by the incident, experiencing severe weight loss, bedridden day and night – unable to sleep or form new romantic relationships.
Kyrgios’ lawyers had appealed that the charge, one count of common assault, be dismissed on mental health grounds, arguing it was an isolated incident and out of character.
Psychiatrist Sam Borenstein told the court Kyrgios suffered from recurring major depression, including black periods, thoughts of self-harm, insomnia, agitation and feelings of guilt.
Borenstein said Tennis Starr had relied on alcohol and drugs to cope but was now making progress in dealing with the problems.
“As we speak now his mental health has improved significantly,” Borenstein said.
Magistrate Beth Campbell heard the appeal but ultimately dismissed the charge.
Campbell said Kyrgios acted poorly but the offense was not planned or premeditated and was a “stupid act” by a young man trying to extricate himself from a tense situation.
Kyrgios is said to have pushed Passari, who was preventing him from leaving his Canberra apartment.
“I don’t have any convictions against you, I don’t have to put you on a good behavior bond,” Campbell said.
Wasted abilities.
Kyrgios on court in Canberra on a pair of crutches and a knee brace, after suffering a “terrible” injury The injury that took him away. At the Australian Open last month.
He was accompanied by his current girlfriend Kostin Hatzi, an interior designer, and his mother Nurlaila.
Kyrgios, who has clashed with the media in the past, did not speak to reporters on his way into the building.
Canberra-born Kyrgios, known for his flashy talent and on-court temper, has spoken publicly in the past about his battles with depression and the pressures of tennis’ global fame.
“I’m proud to say that I’ve completely changed myself and have a completely different perspective on everything, I don’t slow down a second,” he wrote on Instagram last year.
The case was adjourned in October, as Kyrgios prepared to play at the Japan Open, so experts could prepare mental health reports for the court.
“That’s all I can control and I’m taking all the steps and dealing with it off the court,” Kyrgios said in Tokyo at the time.
Currently ranked 20th in the world, Kyrgios features prominently in the first episode of Netflix’s new Breakpoint tennis documentary.
The fan favorite won the Australian Open men’s doubles crown with close friend Thanasi Kokinakis last year but crashed out of this year’s tournament before playing a single match.
Her manager Daniel Horsfall said she recently underwent surgery to remove a cyst inside her knee.
“The surgery went very well, to be honest, we couldn’t have asked for a better result,” he told radio station SEN.
“He’s probably recovering faster than we were expecting, so that’s good news.”
Kyrgios shot to fame in 2014 at the age of 19 when he stunned the tennis world by defeating Rafael Nadal to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
Kyrgios, often criticized for wasting his talent, reached out. Last year’s Wimbledon final But Novak Djokovic suffered a crushing defeat.
