Controversial Tennis Star Kyrgios Accused Of Domestic Assault Amid Wimbledon Run

Topline

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been ordered to appear before an Australian court next month in a case filed against him for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend last year, a development that comes just ahead of the mercurial player’s first quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon since his stunning debut at the event in 2014.

Key Facts

According to the Canberra Times, which first reported the story, Kyrgios has been ordered to appear before a local court in the Australian capital on August 2.

Without naming Kyrgios, local police confirmed the “27-year-old” has been charged with “common assault.”

Kyrgios’ lawyer said the tennis star is aware of the summon and he is treating the charges “very seriously” but won’t comment further, the report added.

Kyrgios’ charges reportedly stem from an incident in December 2021 where he allegedly “grabbed” his former girlfriend Chiara Passari.

Key Background

The charges against Kyrgios come at a time when the tennis star is in the middle of his best run at Wimbledon, having made it to the quarterfinals for the first time since his phenomenal debut in 2014 where he entered as a wild card and managed to beat Rafael Nadal. Kyrgios is set to face Chilean Cristian Garín in the fourth men’s singles quarterfinal match on Wednesday. The Australian tennis star’s strong run at Wimbledon, however, has not been free from controversy as he has faced multiple fines for his behavior. His rival in the third round Stefanos Tsitsipas accused Kyrgios of being a bully and called him “evil” after the Australian constantly shouted expletives at him during the match and yelled at the umpire following an on-court incident. Kyrgios was handed a $4,000 fine for his actions during the match, adding to an earlier fine of $10,000 for spitting at a spectator during his first-round match.

Surprising Fact

Kyrgios’ antics found one surprising critic, legendary American tennis bad boy John McEnroe. While on commentary for ESPN last week, McEnroe said: “It’s embarrassing. He doesn’t need to do all this. It’s scary how good he is – that’s what’s sad in a way.” Australian lawmaker and former tennis player John Alexander joined several others in pointing out McEnroe’s own past behavior, mockingly calling him “reborn… men of extraordinary virtue.”

Further Reading

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios charged with assaulting former girlfriend Chiara Passari in Canberra (Canberra Times)

Nick Kyrgios to appear in court after being charged with domestic abuse (The Telegraph)