Nick Kyrgios avoids conviction after pleading guilty to assault

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 03 February 2023

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios pleads guilty to common assault against an ex-girlfriend in 2021 but avoids a criminal conviction.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has pleaded guilty to assaulting a former partner in 2021, but he has avoided a criminal conviction.

The 27-year-old was charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari, in July 2022, and he was summoned to appear in court a month later.

It was alleged that Kyrgios pushed Passari to the ground during an argument in January 2021, and the woman reported shoulder pain and a knee graze following the incident outside her apartment in Kingston.

The pair had initially reconciled before splitting near the end of the year, at which point Passari reported the incident to the authorities, and Kyrgios was charged with common assault.

The Wimbledon runner-up had attempted to have the charge - which could have led to a maximum of two years in jail - thrown out on mental health grounds, but this was rejected.

However, appearing at ACT Magistrates Court on Friday, magistrate Beth Campbell dismissed the charge against the Australian, labelling it a "low-level" incident.

Campbell accepted that Kyrgios had "acted poorly in the heat of the moment", and that the world number 20 was not at risk of re-offending.

Nick Kyrgios in action at the Canadian Open on August 11, 2022 © Reuters

Following the outcome, Kyrgios released a statement on social media, admitting that he was "sincerely sorry" for the assault and vowed to continue working on his mental health.

"I respect today's ruling and I am grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction," Kyrgios posted on Instagram.

"I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn't OK and I am sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.

"Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I have found that getting help and working on myself has allowed me to feel better.

"I can never thank Costeen [Hatzi], my family and friends enough for supporting me through this process. I now plan to focus on recovering from injury and moving forward in the best way possible."

Kyrgios, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final, withdrew from the 2023 Australian Open due to a knee injury, and he is targeting a return from surgery at the Indian Wells Masters in March.