Grinning Nick Kyrgios seems untroubled by domestic violence allegations during practice at Wimbledon – despite facing two years in prison
- Nick Kyrgios has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari
- He had been dating Ms Passari on-and-off for more than a year before split
- Incident allegedly took place in Canberra in December 2021, police say
- He looked very relaxed during a practice session today despite allegations
- The Australian tennis star is currently preparing for the Wimbledon quarterfinals
- The 27-year-old has caused a stir worldwide for his dramatic on-court antics
Polarising tennis star Nick Kyrgios looked untroubled by fresh allegations of domestic abuse against his ex-girlfriend as he strolled out onto a practice court today ahead of his next match at Wimbledon.
The flamboyant Aussie, 27, who is currently preparing for a quarter-final clash at the All England Club after a string of controversial matches, is accused of attacking model Chiara Passari in a domestic violence incident which allegedly occurred late last year and will face court next month.
Australian police confirmed earlier today that Kyrgios is set to face a magistrates court on August 2 ‘in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021.’
But Kyrgios appeared relaxed and jovial as he pulled up to practice earlier today just hours after the allegations surfaced, joking with reporters that he felt like he was ‘in The Last Dance’ – referring to a documentary about his hero Michael Jordan – and flashing a mischievous grin while warming up on the grass.
Kyrgios is scheduled to play Chile’s Cristian Garin on Wednesday for a spot in the Grand Slam’s semi-final.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts on the practice courts on day nine of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 05, 2022 in London, England
Kyrgios appeared relaxed and jovial as he pulled up to practice earlier today just hours after the allegations of domestic abuse surfaced
Kyrgios joked with reporters that he felt like he was ‘in The Last Dance’ – referring to a documentary about his hero Michael Jordan
Nick Kyrgios (pictured with his ex Chiara Passari) has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in a domestic violence incident which allegedly occurred late last year
The Australian tennis star, 27, who currently preparing for a quarterfinal clash at Wimbledon, is accused of assaulting model Chiara Passari (pictured together) and will face court next month
Nick Kyrgios has been seen at Wimbledon support by girlfriend Costeen Hatzi (left), whom he started dating after his relationship with Ms Passari
Kyrgios’s barrister Jason Moffett, from Key Chambers, told The Canberra Times his client was aware of the allegation, which were ‘in the context of a domestic relationship’.
‘The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously,’ he added.
‘Given the matter is before the court… he doesn’t have a comment at this stage, but in the fullness of time we’ll issue a media release.’
It is understood the matter concerns an allegation Kyrgios grabbed ex-girlfriend Ms Passari.
After the allegations surfaced, lawyers for Kyrgios said reports he had been formally charged were ‘inaccurate’, and that he has only been given a ‘formal direction to appear to face allegations’.
Shortly after the allegations came to light at about 8:30pm Australian time on Tuesday night, Kyrgios posted a photo from an interaction with a young fan in London.
‘This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself,’ he wrote alongside the photo of a little girl staring adoringly at her idol.
He created the Nick Kyrgios Foundation to provide disadvantaged kids access to sporting facilities like tennis and basketball courts, as well as dorms.
Kyrgios, known largely to his supporters as a loveable rogue, is being fuelled by his critics in a bid to achieve his best grand slam result at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios is pictured during a practice session at Wimbledon, July 5
Kyrgios’s barrister Jason Moffett told The Canberra Times his client was aware of the allegation (Kyrgios is pictured left arriving at Wimbledon shortly after the news surfaced, with his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari pictured right)
Shortly after the allegations came to light at about 8:30pm on Tuesday night, Kyrgios posted a photo from a sweet interaction he had with a young fan at Wimbledon (pictured)
Kyrgios’ current girlfriend, 21-year-old Costeen Hatzi (pictured) has been travelling the world supporting him during this year’s tennis season
Kyrgios has credited his new girlfriend with helping him stay focused on his game, calling her his ‘greatest blessing’, and insiders say she has been instrumental in turning his life around after a tumultuous few years (Kyrgios and Hatzi are seen in a recent Instagram post)
He struggled with a shoulder problem but recovered from a set down and then clinched the decider against 20-year-old American Brandon Nakashima on Monday, winning 4-6 6-4 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Chile’s Garin.
Kyrgios’ battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas was undoubtedly the most talked-about match of the tournament so far, and he received plenty of criticism for his on-court behaviour.
‘Honestly, I don’t care,’ said Kyrgios. ‘I just smile. It’s so funny. I joke around with my team about it so much. It’s hilarious.
‘I almost just wake up and read things, and I just laugh. And I never forget things people say, whether it was three, four years ago, things that just stick with me.
‘I have a massive chip on my shoulder. I sit here now in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset.’
Kyrgios’ battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas was undoubtedly the most talked-about match of the tournament so far (pictured, Kyrgios arrives at the Wimbledon practice courts with his manager Daniel Horsfall on Tuesday)
Chiara Passari, an Australian model (right) started dating the tennis star (left) in the middle of 2020 with the relationship lasting about 18 months
Kyrgios was fined $10,000 after his first-round match for spitting towards a fan, was warned for swearing on Saturday and then called for Tsitsipas to be defaulted after the Greek hit a ball close to a spectator’s head after losing the second set.
Both players received fines on Sunday.
So far, he has been fined twice, spat towards a fan and called the World No.5 ‘soft’ for the opening four rounds – but he has combined that with brilliant tennis.
But it was a different story in his win over Nakashima where he showed model behaviour and a new level of focus.
Kyrgios displayed model behaviour during his match against Brandon Nakashima in Wimbledon on July 4, after a heated game against Stefanos Tsitsipas over the weekend
The athlete went Instagram official with Costeen (pictured at Wimbledon last week) last December, following his split from longtime girlfriend Chiara Passari
An explosive meltdown seemed imminent in the final game of the fourth set when Kyrgios put hardly any effort into his service game to hand the set to the American.
‘Why would you tank this game? Because that is exactly what this game is at the moment’, stunned nine-time Wimbledon doubles champ Woodbridge said in commentary.
‘He’s throwing this game to see what might happen at the start of the fifth. He needs to stay focused here, he’s lost his way.’
But Kyrgios, who was battling a nagging shoulder injury, defied expectations to lock down and compete hard in the final set to secure a famous victory.
Kyrgios’ drama-free performance differed greatly to his antics against Stefanos Tsitsipas
His showmanship prompted experts on The Tennis Podcast to laud Kyrgios for his calmer approach in the gutsy five-set victory over his American opponent.
‘Who knows what will happen over the next few days but he has already done things this week that I didn’t really think he could do. I didn’t have much belief he could do,’ pundit Matt Roberts said.
‘He’s beaten a top 5 player over five sets, he’s won when there was a circus, he’s won when there wasn’t a circus, he’s backed up a real emotional high against Tstispas and won the next match. That’s so important in slams.
‘That’s how you win slams, by backing it up and doing it over and over again. He’s never really demonstrated that he can do that and he’s also won when he was a set down – he’s done that three times.’
Kyrgios (pictured at Wimbledon in June) was born in Canberra in 1995 and turned pro when he was just 18 after forming a love for tennis when he was just six-years-old
Kyrgios (pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) was also a talented basketball player but ultimately decided to pursue tennis because the sport posed a lesser risk of injury
Co-hosts David Law and Catherine Whitaker endorsed Roberts’ view, labelling the victory over Nakashima one of the biggest of his career.
Kyrgios has built his career around being unpredictable on the court, with fans and players alike unsure what to expect when the natural talent hits the court.
He was born in Canberra in 1995 and began his professional tennis career when he was just 18. He started playing tennis with his mother at six-years-old.
Kyrgios also showed talent for basketball but ultimately decided to pursue tennis because the sport posed a lesser risk of injury.
The player is ranked as world No 40 in mens singles and world No 29 in doubles and was the first teenager to defeat a world No 1 at a grand slam when he won victory over Spain’s Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in July, 2014.
He is a two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist and a six-time ATP singles champion.
Kyrgios earned his highest singles ranking of No 13 in October of 2016 – having won three ATP titles that year.
In January 2022, Kyrgios won his first grand slam doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne alongside partner Thanasi Kokkinakis (pictured, the pair pose with their trophy)
The childhood friends became the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since 1997 (pictured, the pair in Wimbledon in July, 2013)
The then-144th-ranked Kyrgios also became the first player ranked outside the top 100 to defeat a world No. 1 at a grand slam.
In January 2022, Kyrgios won his second grand slam doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne alongside partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The childhood friends became the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since 1997.
Kyrgios is estimated to have earned a total of US$9,905,710 in prize money for his wins in both singles and doubles.
Throughout his career Kyrgios has been offered sponsorship deals with major companies including Yonex, Nike and Beats.
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