After pleading guilty to the assault of his ex-girlfriend in Canberra court, the Australian player saw the charge dismissed by the court.
Source AFP
© SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
Published on
Subscriber-only audio playback
Nick Kyrgios, Australian tennis player, was prosecuted for the assault of his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in January 2021. He escaped conviction on Friday February 3, after having pleaded guilty in a Canberra court. He was accused of having pushed the victim to the ground after a heated argument, according to the prosecution. The assault charge against the 27-year-old was dismissed by the court.
Present at the hearing, the Wimbledon finalist admitted to having assaulted his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari on January 10, 2021 by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument. Mme Passari filed a lawsuit 10 months later after their split, lawyers reported. In a statement read at the hearing, Mr.me Passari says she suffered severe trauma from the incident, significant weight loss, and being bedridden day and night, unable to sleep or form new romantic relationships.
Mental health issues
The tennis player’s lawyers had previously indicated that the Wimbledon finalist would seek to have the charges dropped due to mental health issues, explaining that it was an isolated incident and not in line with his temperament. Psychologist Sam Borenstein told the court that Kyrgios suffered from severe and recurrent depression, including thoughts of self-harm, insomnia, restlessness and feelings of guilt.
According to Mr Borenstein, the tennis star has resorted to alcohol in particular to cope with the situation, but is now making progress in managing his mental health. “As we speak, his mental health has improved significantly,” the psychologist said.
Judge Beth Campbell eventually dismissed the case, saying Kyrgios had acted wrongly but the offense was not planned or premeditated and was a ‘single stupid act’ by a youngster. man trying to get out of a tense situation. Kyrgios would have pushed his ex-girlfriend when the latter prevented him from leaving his flat in Canberra.
The player did not speak to journalists
Nick Kyrgios arrived on crutches in the court of the Australian capital, victim of a knee injury which forced him to forfeit the Australian Open in January. He was accompanied by his partner Costen Hatzi, an interior designer, and his mother Norlaila. The player, currently world number twenty, did not speak to reporters as he made his way to court.
The 27-year-old Australian born in Canberra, known for his spectacular play and tantrums on the courts, has gone public with his battle with depression and the repercussions of his global stardom. In October 2022, while Kyrgios was taking part in the Japan tournament, the hearing was postponed to allow an assessment of his mental health. “There are only a few things I can control and I am taking all necessary measures to deal with them off the court,” the Australian said from Tokyo at the time.
READ ALSOWimbledon: Nick Kyrgios, the limitless agitator of tennisIn 2014, Kyrgios, then a 19-year-old complete stranger, stunned the tennis world by defeating then-world number one Rafael Nadal to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The terrible child of Australian tennis has shaped the image of an angry and divisive player, who collects 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.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/72TR273SWFCWZPVKPGLCQOFGIA.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)