Nick Kyrgios Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend, Avoids Conviction

Published|Updated

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios pleaded guilty to an assault charge involving ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari. Kyrgios was accused of pushing Passari to the ground during an argument in January 2021.

Shortly after pleading guilty, Magistrate Jane Campbell dismissed the charge due to the offense not being premeditated and being on the "low end" of seriousness for common assault. The dismissal also came after Kyrgios' lawyer told the court that his client had suffered from severe depression and suicidal ideation in the past.

He was reportedly facing up to two years in prison.

Kyrgios, who was on crutches after recently having knee surgery, arrived at the court alongside his current girlfriend Costeen Hatzi along with his brother and mother. Hatzi wrote in a character reference that she had no concerns of violence in her relationship with Krygios.

He didn't speak to the media on-scene but did issue a statement on Instagram showing his gratitude to the court for dismissing the charge.

"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."

"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 assault allegations involving Kyrgios came to light in July 2022 as Kyrgios was preparing for a quarterfinal match at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old didn't appear to be taking the allegations too seriously in the moment.

As the media hounded him for comment, Kyrgios bizarrely said "I feel like I'm in 'The Last Dance'" before cracking a smile.

The Aussie went on to make the 2022 Wimbledon final, the first of his career, but ultimately fell to Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios underwent arthroscopic surgery in January after his knee injury forced him to miss the Australian Open.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

Tags
Written by

Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.