Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios escaped conviction after pleading guilty on Friday to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in what a Canberra court called “a stupid act”.
The charge of assault against the 27-year-old was dismissed by the court.
The Wimbledon finalist, who was present at the hearing, admitted to attacking his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari on January 10, 2021 and pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.
Ms Passari filed a lawsuit 10 months later after their split, lawyers reported. In a statement read in court, Ms Passari said she suffered severe trauma from the incident, suffered significant weight loss and was bedridden day and night, unable to sleep or form new romantic relationships.
The tennis player’s lawyers had previously suggested the Wimbledon finalist would seek to have the mental health charges dropped, saying it was an isolated case and did not suit his temperament.
Psychologist Sam Borenstein told the court Kyrgios suffered from severe and recurrent depression, including thoughts of self-harm, insomnia, restlessness and guilt.
According to Mr Borenstein, the tennis star has resorted to alcohol in particular to cope with the situation but is now making strides in managing his mental health.
“As we speak, his mental health has improved significantly,” the psychologist said.
Kyrgios issued a statement, writing that he was “not feeling well” at the time and that he “reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret”.
“I know it wasn’t okay and I’m sincerely sorry for the pain I caused,” he added.
Judge Beth Campbell eventually dismissed the case, saying Kyrgios acted wrongly but the offense was not planned or premeditated and was a “single stupid act” by a young man trying to get out of a tense situation.
Kyrgios would have pushed his ex-girlfriend when she prevented him from leaving his Canberra apartment.
Mental health
Nick Kyrgios arrived at the Australian capital’s court on crutches, the victim of a knee injury that forced him to abandon the Australian Open in January.
He was accompanied by his partner Costen Hatzi, an interior designer, and his mother, Norlaila.
The player, currently number 20 in the world, did not speak to reporters on his way to court.
The 27-year-old Australian, who was born in Canberra and is known for his spectacular play and tantrums on the pitch, has gone public with his battle with depression and the impact of his global fame.
In October 2022, when Kyrgios attended the Japan tournament, the hearing was postponed to allow for an assessment of his mental health.
“There are very few things I can control and I take whatever action is necessary to manage them off the pitch,” the Australian said from Tokyo at the time.
In 2014, Kyrgios, then a complete stranger, 19, stunned the tennis world by beating then-world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
The terrible child of Australian tennis has painted an image of an angry and divisive player who rakes in fines and is often accused of not playing to his full potential. However, he reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, his first Grand Slam, before losing to Novak Djokovic.