Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios pleads guilty to assaulting former girlfriend, has no conviction recorded

Nick Kyrgios has been suffering from severe depression, suicidal ideation and insomnia for months, a psychologist told the court on Friday when the Australian tennis star pleaded guilty to forcing his ex-girlfriend to the ground two years ago.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up pleaded guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court to assaulting Chiara Passari during an argument in her hometown of Canberra in January 2021.

Magistrate Jane Campbell did not impose a sentence on Kyrgios on the grounds that the offense was of a serious nature due to public assault, and that it was not premeditated.

Campbell described the act as “stupid” and “frustrating.”

Kyrgios, who is on crutches after recent surgery on his left knee, did not speak to reporters as he left the court but issued a statement through his management company.

“I respect today’s verdict and thank the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” Kyrgios said. “I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I regret.

“Mental health is hard. Life can seem overwhelming. But I find that getting help and working on myself has helped me get better and better.”

Kyrgios’ psychologist, Sam Borenstein, said in a written report and telephone testimony that Kyrgios had suffered a major depressive episode in the past month and had been using alcohol and drugs to cope. Kyrgios’ mental health led to his impulsive and reckless behavior.

The recent knee injury left her with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, but her mental health has improved, Borenstein said.

“He’s doing great,” Borenstein said. “Mental health has improved a lot.”

Kyrgios’ lawyers had sought to have assault charges stemming from the incident two years ago dismissed on mental health grounds, but the application was unsuccessful.

Kyrgios had tried to leave Passari during an argument at 10pm on January 10, 2021, outside his apartment in the Canberra suburb of Kingston. He called an Uber but Passari stood in the road to close the front passenger side door. The driver will not leave with the door open.

Kyrgios eventually pushed Passari’s shoulder back with an open palm, causing him to fall to the pavement and dislocate his knee, according to agreed facts read in court.

Passari signed a police statement revealing the assault 11 months later, after his relationship with Kyrgios had ended.

His current partner, Costeen Hatzi, wrote in a character reference that he is not worried about violence in their relationship. Hatzi was one of Kyrgios’ supporters sitting at the back of the court.

Kyrgios, dressed in a dark suit and using crutches for support, first spoke in court when the judge asked if he could stand to plead.

In February last year, Kyrgios opened up about his performance at the 2019 Australian Open, saying that what appeared to be a positive time in his life was “one of the darkest times.”

“I’m lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, drugs, estranged from my family and friends,” he wrote on Instagram. “I feel like I can’t talk or trust anyone. It’s a result of not opening up and not being willing to trust the people I love and it just pushes me to be positive.”

Kyrgios made further reference to his mental health struggles during last year’s run to the final at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals at the US Open.

After ending Daniil Medvedev’s US Open title defense last September to reach the quarter-finals, Kyrgios expressed his pride at coming out of “some difficult situations, mentally” and “some scary places” on the court.

Kyrgios, 27, suffered a career setback last month when he withdrew from the Australian Open with a knee injury that later required arthroscopic surgery.