Nick Kyrgios Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend Chiara Passari But Escapes Conviction

It is pertinent to note that the lawyers of the Aussie tennis ace had previously suggested that they would try to have the charge of assault dismissed on the grounds of mental health.

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios (2nd L) arrives on crutches to the magistrate's court in Canberra on February 3, 2023.

Source : AFP

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend in an Australian court on Friday. The incident is alleged to have taken place in December 2021 and involved his then girlfriend Chiara Passari. As per the prosecutor, Kyrgios pushed Passari to the ground after an argument outside her apartment in the country's capital.

Kyrgios entered the court with a pair of crutches and a brace on his knee after sustaining injuries that even saw him miss the opening Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. The 27-year-old was accompanied by his current girlfriend Costeen Hatzi and his mother Norlaila.

Despite him pleading guilty and a possible conviction carrying an imprisonment of a maximum two years, much to his and his fans relief, a judge dismissed the case. This spared the Canberra-born tennis star a criminal record. The court observed that it was "a single act of stupidity or frustration."

It is pertinent to note that the lawyers of the Aussie tennis ace had previously suggested that they would try to have the charge of assault dismissed on the grounds of mental health. It was owing to this reason that the case had previously been adjourned in October as Kyrgios was gearing up to participate in the Japan open and experts took time out to prepare his mental health report.

"There's only so much I can control and I'm taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court," Kyrgios was quoted as saying from Tokyo at that time.

Kyrgios has been involved in several on-field outbursts

When he entered the court on Friday though, he did not speak to the media. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios is currently ranked 20th in the world and has, at least patches, played some of the best tennis in the world. However, those phases haven't been consistent and the player has himself talked about battling depression and the pressures of global fame because of his profession.

Kyrgios has also been involved in several on-court outbursts and was caught on camera breaking 2 of his rackets after he was visibly annoyed with himself post his US Open 2022 exit.