Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios pleaded guilty on Friday to assaulting his former girlfriend, Chiara Passari, but avoided a conviction for what the magistrate described as a “single act of stupidity.” Appearing in a Canberra court, the Wimbledon finalist admitted that on 10 January 2021 he pushed Passari to the ground after a heated argument. Kyrgios said he was “not in a good place” at the time and that he “reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret.” He added, “I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.”
Passari lodged a police complaint ten months after the incident, after the pair had broken up, according to lawyers. In a statement read to the court, she said the assault had severely traumatized her, leading to significant weight loss, sleeplessness, and an inability to form new romantic relationships. Kyrgios’s lawyers appealed to have the charge of one count of common assault dismissed on mental‑health grounds, arguing it was an isolated incident and out of character. Psychologist Sam Borenstein testified that Kyrgios suffers from recurring major depression, marked by black periods, self‑harm thoughts, insomnia, agitation and guilt. Borenstein noted that the tennis star had previously relied on alcohol and drugs to cope but was now making progress.
Magistrate Beth Campbell heard the appeal and ultimately dismissed the case without recording a conviction. She said Kyrgios acted poorly but the offence was neither planned nor premeditated, describing it as a “single act of stupidity” by a young man trying to extricate himself from a tense situation. “I do not record a conviction against your name, I do not find any necessity to place you on a good‑behaviour bond,” Campbell said.
Kyrgios arrived in court on crutches and with a knee brace after a “gruesome” injury that forced him out of last month’s Australian Open. He was accompanied by his current girlfriend, interior designer Costeen Hatzi, and his mother, Norlaila. The Canberra‑born player, known for his mercurial talent and on‑court outbursts, later said, “Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I’ve found that getting help and working on myself has helped me to feel better and to be better.”
The case had been adjourned in October while experts prepared mental‑health reports. Speaking from Tokyo as he prepared for the Japan Open, Kyrgios said, “There’s only so much I can control and I’m taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court.” Currently ranked 20th in the world, he recently appeared in the first episode of Netflix’s new tennis documentary *Break Point*. “I now plan to focus on recovering from injury and moving forward in the best way possible,” he added.
Kyrgios, a fan favourite, won the Australian Open men’s doubles title with close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis last year but was ruled out of this year’s tournament before playing a match. His manager, Daniel Horsfall, said Kyrgios had undergone surgery to remove a cyst inside his knee, describing the operation as a success and noting that recovery was progressing faster than expected. Kyrgios first burst onto the scene in 2014, at age 19, when he upset Rafael Nadal to reach the Wimbledon quarter‑finals. Frequently criticised for squandering his talent, he reached the Wimbledon final last year, where he was comprehensively beaten by Novak Djokovic.
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