Nick Kyrgios had been struggling with an intense bout of depression, suicidal thoughts, and sleep deprivation prior to the incident two years ago, a psychologist revealed to the court on Friday as the Australian tennis star admitted guilt for shoving his former girlfriend to the ground.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up pleaded guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Magistrate's Court to assaulting Chiara Passari during a heated altercation in his hometown of Canberra in January 2021.
Magistrate Jane Campbell didn't record a conviction against Kyrgios for reasons including that the offense was at the low end of seriousness for a common assault, and was not premeditated.
Campbell described it as an act of "stupidity" and "frustration."
Kyrgios’ psychologist, Sam Borenstein, said in a written report and testimony by phone that Kyrgios had suffered major depressive episodes in the past and had used alcohol and drugs to cope. Kyrgios' mental health led to impulsive and reckless behavior.
His recent knee injury had resulted in mild to moderate symptoms of depression, but his mental health was improving, Borenstein said.
"He’s doing very well," Borenstein said. "His mental health has improved significantly.
Lawyers for Kyrgios had sought to have an assault charge stemming from events two years ago dismissed on mental health grounds but the application was unsuccessful.
Kyrgios had been attempting to leave Passari during an argument at 10:00 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2021, outside her apartment in the inner-Canberra suburb of Kingston. He called an Uber but Passari stood in the way of him closing the front passenger side door. The driver wouldn’t leave with the door open.
Kyrgios eventually pushed Passari's shoulders backward with open palms, causing her to fall to the pavement and graze her knee, according to agreed facts read to the court.
Passari signed a police statement alleging the assault 11 months later after her relationship with Kyrgios had ended.
Hi current partner, Costeen Hatzi, wrote in a character reference that she had no concerns about violence in her relationship. Hatzi was among Kyrgios' supporters who sat behind him in court.
Kyrgios entered the court in a dark suit and on crutches following knee surgery.
He first spoke in court when the magistrate asked him if he could stand to enter a plea.
Kyrgios replied: "Yep, no worries, Your Honor," as he rose to plead guilty.
He did not comment to the media as he left the court.
In February last year, Kyrgios opened up about his performance at the 2019 Australian Open, saying what appeared to be a positive time in his life had been "one of my darkest periods."
"I was lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, and drugs, pushed away family and friends," he wrote on Instagram. "I felt as if I couldn’t talk or trust anyone. This was a result of not opening up and refusing to lean on my loved ones and simply just pushing myself little by little to be positive."
Kyrgios made further references to his mental health struggles during his runs to the final at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
After ending Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open title defense in September last year to reach the quarterfinals, Kyrgios expressed pride at lifting himself out of "some really tough situations, mentally" and "some really scary places" off the court.
The 27-year-old Kyrgios had a career setback last month when he withdrew from the Australian Open because of an injured left knee that required arthroscopic surgery.
