Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who is having a ball at the Wimbledon 2022 and is through to the quarter-finals, was charged with assaulting ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari on Tuesday. Kyrgios, 27, is due to appear in court next month in Canberra, Australia. If proved guilty, he faces up to two years in jail.
The assault on Passari allegedly took place last year according to The Canberra Times. This comes as Kyrgios's present girlfriend Costeen Hatzi has gone on to become one of the most talked-about WAGs at this year's Wimbledon tournament. Hatzi was spotted cheering for Kyrgios from the stands on Saturday as he went on beat fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third-round match.
Trouble for Kyrgios Again
Kyrgios has time and again courted controversy for his outspoken nature and on-court drama but this time he seems to be in bigger trouble. On Tuesday he was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021.
The Canberra Times quoted police in Australia Capital Territory (ACT) in a statement released 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," police said.
According to the Australian newspaper, Kyrgios is suspected of grabbing his ex-girlfriend. Kyrgios' attorney, Jason Moffett, stated that his client was aware of the allegation.
"It's in the context of a domestic relationship," he 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," he added.
Kyrgios is slated to play against Cristian Garin in a Wimbledon quarterfinal on Wednesday. He will appear in court in Canberra on August 2. If found guilty, he could spend the next two years behind bars.
Career Swings in Balance
This comes as Kyrgios and his present girlfriend Costeen Hatzi continue to grab media attention at the Wimbledon. In between games, Kyrgios was seen playing tennis with Hatzi. He was also seen cuddling up to her outside court.
Hatzi, a 21-year-old Sydney resident, owns her own company, Casa Amor Interiors, which specializes in modern home design. She has over 78,000 followers on Instagram.
According to reports, the two first spoke when Kyrgios messaged the business to inquire about purchasing a mirror.
"He was apparently scrolling through Insta and saw my business account post," Hatzi wrote, on a now-expired Instagram story. "It was a professional/friendly conversation, and then he came to pick up the mirror from Sydney. I had no idea this was all a plan, I literally thought he was buying a mirror. He picked up the mirror and, as he would say, "it was love at first sight."
In December 2021, the couple made their love known to the world. Since then, they have frequently appeared on each other's Instagram pages.
The couple later sparked rumors of an engagement after the tennis ace posted an emoji of a ring in an Instagram story in March 2022 and said he plans to get married "very soon."
Ajla Tomljanovic, who will also compete in the Championships' final 16 this year, was one of Kyrgios' prior partners.
The Australian has been playing well this grass-court season, winning 10 of the first 12 games. He advanced to the semifinals at the BOSS Open and Halle Open, before falling to Andy Murray and Hubert Hurkacz, respectively.
Kyrgios has a good chance of making the Wimbledon semifinals given his recent form. He also has a good chance of winning his first Grand Slam championship at the Wimbledon, assuming he keeps up his consistency.
