Nick Kyrgios has admitted to having attacked his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari two years ago, but the magistrate Beth Campbell of the Court of Canberra has decided not to take action against him. Kyrgios, who appeared in court on crutches after the knee operation that prevented him from participating in the Australian Open, and accompanied by his mother and current partner Costeen Hatzi, admitted that he had acted incorrectly, reacting “to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t right and I am sincerely sorry for the harm I have caused.” The Wimbledlon 2022 finalist had pushed Passari violently on January 10, 2021 as she tried to prevent him from leaving her apartment. The complaint had been presented ten months later, and Passari had declared that she had suffered a psychological trauma that had led her to lose weight, suffer from insomnia and be unable to embark on new romantic relationships. Among the witnesses for the defense was the psychologist Sam Borenstein, according to which Kyrgios “suffers from a recurring depression, which involves black periods, thoughts of self-harm, insomnia, agitation and feelings of guilt”. Judge Campbell acknowledged that it was wrong behavior, but the result of a “single act of stupidity”, and therefore did not consider it appropriate to either condemn the Australian tennis player or assign him to a re-education program.
A few days ago, however, the ATP announced that it did not want to take any action against Alexander Zverev, the tennis player also accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend, Olga Sharypova. The fact dates back to October 2019, but according to the indictment, it would have been repeated even later. The ATP had entrusted an investigation to the Lake Forest Group, a private group specializing in these cases, which listened to 24 people over the course of 15 months, but did not find enough evidence to suggest action. However, the case can be reopened if new materials emerge.