Australian tennis star and world no. 20 Nick Kyrgios has pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend after shoving her during a night out.
However, his assault case has been dismissed.
Kyrgios was charged with assaulting Chiara Passari as he pushed her out of the way of an Uber car door during an argument on January 10, 2021.
Initially, Kyrgios argued for the charge to be dropped due to his mental health, but this was rejected as he doesn’t currently suffer from any significant depressive illness.
The 27-year-old then pleaded guilty to one count of common assault.
However, Magistrate Beth Campbell dropped Kyrgios’ charge as she stated she would deal with the case as a “low-level assault”, stating Kyrgios was not at risk of reoffending.
“You’re a young man who happens to hit a tennis ball particularly well and your name is very well known outside this courtroom,” she said.
Campbell found that the assault was not premeditated and just an “impulsive and unfortunate response” and an act of “stupidity” and “frustration” to an incident.
This means that Kyrgios will not have to adhere to a good behaviour bond and will not have a conviction recorded.
Passari reported the incident later in 2021 after the couple broke up for a second time.
Documents revealed to the court indicated that the pair were standing in front of Passari’s Canberra apartment block when the incident happened.
They got into a heated argument before Kyrgios ordered an Uber. When the Uber arrived, he attempted to step into the front passenger seat, but Passari stood between the seat and the door to prevent it from being closed as she wanted him to get out of the car and calm down.
Kyrgios then told her: “Leave me the fuck alone. I’m going home and don’t want to be with you.”
“Just fucking piss off”.
Kyrgios then pushed Passari with enough force that she fell down.
The document states that he stood over her and said “seriously” while she was lying on the ground.
Passari suffered grazes to the knee and shoulder pain following the incident.
A common assault charge can carry a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
In a statement, Kyrgios apologised for the hurt he had caused.
“I respect today’s ruling and am grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” Kyrgios said.
“I was not in a good place when this took place and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret.”
“I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.”
Kyrgios had to pull out of this year’s Australian Open due to an ongoing knee injury and arrived at court with a pair of crutches.
Help is available. If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about domestic violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online. Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
