He is facing allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari – but Nick Kyrgios’ fellow Australian tennis stars believe he can retain his focus and win Wimbledon.
Kyrgios, 27, will face court after ACT Police alleged he committed assault in an incident last December.
Despite the bombshell allegations, Alex de Minaur and Jason Kubler both stated Kyrgios can turn the tennis world on its head and win his maiden grand slam title at the All England Club.
‘It depends on his level on the given day. He’s got a lot of talent. Yeah, if he has a good day, I think he can beat everyone left in the draw,’ De Minaur said.
The Sydney-born baseliner, 23, was due to play Kyrgios in all-Aussie quarter-final, but lost to Chile’s Cristian Garin in five sets – after he was two sets to love up.
With clay being Garin’s strongest surface, Kyrgios won’t have a better chance to move through to the semi-finals, setting up a likely showdown with world No.4 Rafael Nadal.
He is facing allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari – but Nick Kyrgios’ fellow Australian tennis stars believe he can still win Wimbledon
Queenslander Jason Kubler hit with Kyrgios pre-tournament on the Wimbledon back courts, and was impressed after he was ‘smashed’ by the polarising star
Alex de Minaur stated if Kyrgios is on a level, he is a ‘talent’ who will be hard to beat
Late bloomer Kubler, 29, who lost his fourth-round match to big-serving American Taylor Fritz, had an inkling pre-tournament that Kyrgios was going to leave his mark on the hallowed grass in London.
‘I hit with Kygs maybe the day before he played (Paul) Jubb (in round one) and then I said to my team, ‘Man, Kygs is playing well at the moment,’ Kubler told the Daily Telegraph.
‘If his draw opens up or he’s playing well, he’s dangerous. When we were hitting, he was smashing me.’
Kubler added Kyrgios’ serve is ‘maximised on grass’ and the ‘whole world’ knows what the Canberra-born entertainer is capable of.
Once the allegations of assault emerged, Kyrgios compared himself to basketball icon Michael Jordan.
Nick Kyrgios has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari (pictured together) and will face court in August
‘This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself,’ Kyrgios captioned a photo of an adoring young fan at Wimbledon, shortly after the allegations came to light
Kyrgios took to Instagram to share an uplifting message (pictured) with his 2.3 million followers
Flanked by his entourage from the Wimbledon practice courts, Kyrgios said he ‘felt like he was in The Last Dance’ – referring to the 2020 documentary about the Chicago Bulls basketball legend.
The tennis star also posted to Instagram, urging his 2.3million followers to ‘believe in themselves’.
‘This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself,’ he wrote alongside a photo of him with an adoring young fan.
Kyrgios’s barrister Jason Moffett, from Key Chambers, told The Canberra Times his client was aware of the serious allegations, which were ‘in the context of a domestic relationship’.
‘The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously,’ he added.
‘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.’
Nick Kyrgios has been seen at Wimbledon support by girlfriend Costeen Hatzi (left), who he started dating after his relationship with Ms Passari ended
It’s understood the matter concerns an allegation Kyrgios grabbed his ex-girlfriend Ms Passari.
Late on Tuesday night, Kyrgios’ legal team released a statement denying the tennis star had been charged.
‘At the present time, the allegations are not considered as fact by the Court, and Mr Kyrgios is not considered charged with an offence until the First Appearance,’ the statement said.
‘It may be misleading to the public to describe the Summons in any other manner than a formal direction to appear to face allegations, the precise nature of which is neither certain at this moment nor confirmed by either the Prosecution or Mr Kyrgios.’
Kyrgios is scheduled to play Garin on Court One in their quarter-final from 11.15pm on Wednesday night (AEST).
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