Tennis star Nick Kyrgios to fight assault charge on mental health grounds

Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios will apply to have an assault cost dismissed on psychological well being grounds, his lawyer advised an Australian courtroom on Tuesday.

Lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith appeared on behalf of Kyrgios in a courtroom within the tennis star’s hometown of Canberra and requested for an adjournment so forensic psychological well being reviews could possibly be ready.

Justice of the Peace Glenn Theakston adjourned the case till Feb. 3, when Kyrgios’ legal professionals are anticipated to use to have the cost dismissed underneath a piece of the native crimes regulation.

The 27-year-old Australian tennis star will seem in courtroom in particular person on that date for the primary time since he was charged by police by summons in July.

The regulation offers magistrates the facility to dismiss a cost if they're glad an accused particular person is mentally impaired, and coping with an allegation in that approach would profit the group and the defendant.

The frequent assault cost, which has a possible most sentence of two years in jail, pertains to an incident in January 2021 that was reported to native police final December.

The cost reportedly pertains to an incident involving his former girlfriend.

Nick Kyrgios reacts to a point against Karen Khachanov during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 6, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Nick Kyrgios can probably spend two years in jail for the frequent assault cost.
Getty Photos

Kukulies-Smith advised the courtroom his shopper’s psychological well being historical past since 2015 made the applying applicable, citing numerous public statements made by Kyrgios.

In February, Kyrgios opened up about his efficiency on the 2019 Australian Open, saying what seemed to be a optimistic time in his life had been “one in every of my darkest intervals.”

“I used to be lonely, depressed, damaging, abusing alcohol, medicine, pushed away household and pals,” he wrote on Instagram. “I felt as if I couldn’t discuss or belief anybody. This was a results of not opening up and refusing to lean on my family members and easily simply push myself little by little to be optimistic.”

Nick Kyrgios reacts in his match against Karen Khachanov in their Men’s Singles quarterfinal match at the 2022 US Open Championships played in the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center on Sept. 6, 2022 in Flushing, New York.
Nick Kyrgios will play on the Japan Open whereas the assault cost looms.
Annie Wermiel/NY Publish

Kyrgios made additional references to his psychological well being struggles throughout his runs to the ultimate at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals on the U.S. Open.

After ending Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open title protection final month to succeed in the quarterfinals, Kyrgios expressed delight at lifting himself out of “some actually robust conditions, mentally” and “some actually scary locations” off the courtroom.

Theakston questioned whether or not Kyrgios would wish to seem in courtroom for the February listening to, however Kukulies-Smith mentioned his shopper needed to attend.

Kyrgios was scheduled to play on the Japan Open later Tuesday in opposition to Tseng Chun-hsin of Taiwan.

Talking in Tokyo earlier than his matter returned to courtroom, Kyrgios mentioned it was “not troublesome in any respect” to give attention to tennis regardless of the pending cost.

“There’s solely a lot I can management and I’m taking all of the steps and coping with that off the courtroom,” he advised reporters. “I can solely do what I can and I’m right here in Tokyo and simply attempting to play some good tennis, proceed that momentum and simply attempt to do my job.”

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