PAUL CHILDS
Divisive tennis star Nick Kyrgios is set to face criminal charges in his native Australia after allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend, The Canberra Times reports.
The controversial athlete, who is set to compete in a Wimbledon quarterfinal match on Wednesday, is reportedly due to appear in court in Canberra, the Australian capital, next month. A statement from police in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was shared with local media on Tuesday afternoon. “ACT Policing can confirm a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on the 2nd of August in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021,” the statement read.
The charge is believed to relate to an allegation that Kyrgios, the world No. 40 in ATP rankings, grabbed his former partner, Chiara Passari. A lawyer acting on behalf of Kyrgios confirmed his client was aware of the charge. “It’s in the context of a domestic relationship,” Jason Moffatt, who is representing the tennis player, told The Canberra Times. “The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr. Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously. “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.”