Nick Kyrgios' ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari breaks her silence over assault claims
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios' brother Christos, who is a regular in the players' box, slammed the 'haters and liars' who 'always try and bring him down'.
FollowNick Kyrgios' ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari, broke her silence after the Australian tennis star was charged with assaulting her on Tuesday. The 27-year-old is expected to appear before the ACT Magistrates Court on August 2 after being charged with assaulting his model former lover.
According to reports, the charges were levelled after Kyrgios allegedly grabbed Passari in December 2021 for an incident that occurred months earlier.
"ACT Policing can confirm a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on August 2 in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021," police said on Tuesday afternoon. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
Also read: Nick Kyrgios charged with assaulting ex-girlfriend in Australia; sparks public fury
23-year-old Passari has spoken for the first time since reports of the allegations surfaced. Taking to Instagram, the model said she had reported the alleged assault to the authorities in December. She, however, insisted that she has nothing to do with the charges emerging this week when Kyrgios is preparing for his Wimbledon quarter-final clash against Cristian Garín.
In response to an Instagram comment that defended her, Chiara Passari wrote, "Thank you. Finally, someone smart enough to understand how the justice system works."
Meanwhile, Kyrgios' elder brother, Christos, defended his brother on Instagram. "Haters and liars will always try to bring us down - we keep it 100 and push forward," he said. Christos commented on a post from the Australian tennis star, where he urged his 2.3 million Instagram followers to 'believe in themselves'.
"This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself," he wrote, alongside a photo of an adoring young fan at Wimbledon. His current girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, posted emojis in the comment section, which Kyrgios responded to with a single love-heart.
Also read: Wimbledon 2022: Aussie 'bad boy' Kyrgios defiant after flouting all-white dress code
The 27-year-old, who will play Chile's Cristian Garin on Wednesday for a spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals, appeared calm at a practice session after the allegations emerged. Kyrgios told reporters he 'felt like he was in The Last Dance' - referring to the 2020 documentary about basketball legend Michael Jordan.
