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Last year, it was announced that tennis player Nick Kyrgios would face a Canberra court over allegations he assaulted his former girlfriend, Chiara Passari, in 2021. Today, it was revealed to the public that Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting Passari, pushing her out of the way of an Uber door as she was trying to prevent him from leaving an argument, leaving her with minor injuries.
While the 27-year-old did admit to the incident occurring, he argued in court that the charge should be dismissed on the grounds of his mental health – something he has stated he has battled with for some time. This argument, however, was withdrawn when the court found he is not currently suffering from a significant depressive illness.
Although pleading guilty to one count of common assault in relation to the incident, the court dismissed the charge with no conviction to be recorded against his name. Magistrate Beth Campbell went on to say that Kyrgios “acted poorly in the heat of the moment”, but ultimately his action was at the lower end of the scale of common assault.
Tennis player Nick Kyrgios leaves the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court in Canberra, Australia, 03 February 2023. Kyrgios pleaded guilty to a common assault charge. 📸 EPA/AAP/Mick Tsikas#epaimages #Australia #Kyrgios pic.twitter.com/pTQQ5WRhgN
— EPA Images (@EPA_Images) February 3, 2023
“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 told the court.
“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.”
Kyrgios has previously publicly announced his battles with mental health. During the court hearing, his psychologist Sam Borenstein made mention of the tennis star’s current state of mental health, saying he had previously “relied on alcohol and drugs” and had “periods of being impulsive and reckless in his behaviours.”
Borenstein described Kyrgios’ current mental state as mild with some symptoms of depression, but not a “major” depressive illness.
Kyrgios released a public statement post-hearing, saying he respected the ruling and was “grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction.”
Kyrgios started his ATP 23′ season with an injury, pulling out of this year’s Australian Open on January 15 due to an ongoing knee injury, for which he has since had surgery. Arrived at the court yesterday, Kyrgios was seen with a pair of crutches to assist with his injury. Whether this incident will further impact his playing career for the remainder of 2023 will remain to be seen.
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