Nick Kyrgios breaks his silence after escaping conviction despite pleading guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has had an assault charge dismissed by a magistrate after he pleaded guilty to shoving over his ex-girlfriend in 2021.
FollowIn what has sparked a massive uproar on social media, Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios on Friday admitted to abusing an ex-girlfriend but has escaped conviction. The 27-year-old entered a guilty plea in a Canberra court after his attorneys failed to get the charge dropped due to his mental health.
The court heard that Kyrgios pushed Chiara Passari onto the pavement during a row in Canberra in 2021. However, magistrate Beth Campbell called the incident "a single act of stupidity or frustration" when sparing him a criminal record.
Also read:Â Nick Kyrgios pleads guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend; escapes conviction
Kyrgios issued a statement on Instagram following the hearing: "I respect today's ruling and I'm grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction."
"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'm sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused," the Australian tennis star added.
"Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I've found that getting help and working on myself has allowed me to feel better and to be better," Kyrgios noted.
He finished the statement with a message to his supporters. "I can never thank Costeen, 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," Krygios concluded.
The 27-year-old World no. 20 was charged with common assault after he pushed his former girlfriend Chiara Passari to the ground during an argument when they went out for dinner in Kingston in December 2021. Kyrgios allegedly shoved her over as she stood at the door of an Uber and blocked his exit.
The Aussie tennis star stood over her and remarked 'seriously' while she lay on the ground. Passari reported suffering shoulder pain along with grazing on her knee. Kyrgios reportedly had told Passari to 'leave me the f*** alone' and to 'just f***ing p**s off' while she asked him to get out of the car and to calm down. Passari didn't report the incident until ten months later when the couple split after getting back together following the incident.
Kyrgios missed the Australian Open 2023 through injury and hopes to return to court for the Indian Wells Masters in California in March.
