Nick Kyrgios was gushing about how ‘obsessed’ he is with his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi just hours before it came to light he’d been charged with assaulting his ex.
The 27-year-old is facing allegations he assaulted model Chiara Passari in an alleged incident in December last year and will fly back to Australia to face court next month.
Following his fourth round victory at Wimbledon over Brandon Nakashima, the tennis star spoke at length about his support team and personal life.
‘I’ve got an incredible support crew. My physio is one of my best friends. My best friend is my agent. I’ve got the best girlfriend in the world,’ he told reporters.
‘I’ve just got so many people around me, they just support me.’
Nick Kyrgios was gushing about how ‘obsessed’ he is with his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi (pictured together) just hours before it came to light he’d been charged with assaulting his ex
The 27-year-old is facing allegations he assaulted model Chiara Passari (pictured together) in an alleged incident in December last year and will fly back to Australia to face court
He said he often was stuck to his phone reading comments about his performance following big matches, but with Ms Hatzi, 22, by his side he could ‘switch off’.
‘When you get a result like this it’s so easy to be attached to technology – seeing everyone’s opinions on the match or highlights, everything like that,’ he said.
‘But I feel like I’m really able to switch off from that. And that’s a big part of my growth.
‘Obviously being obsessed with my girlfriend helps, but I’m just able to let that go and enjoy my dinner and wake up the next day and separate tennis and life.’
Ms Hatzi has been cheering on her boyfriend from the crowd as he plays his way through Wimbledon.
The pair shared a courtside kiss during one of Kyrgios’ training sessions on Monday.
On Tuesday, he attended practice as normal just minutes after the assault allegations came to light – although he chose to train on the court furthest away from waiting media.
‘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 last night.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
Flanked by his entourage, the 27-year-old appeared calm ahead of his quarter-final showdown at the Grand Slam.
Leaving the practice courts shortly after the allegations surfaced, Kyrgios told waiting reporters he ‘felt like he was in The Last Dance’ – referring to the 2020 documentary about basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The tennis star also posted to Instagram, urging his 2.3 million followers to ‘believe in themselves’.
‘This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself,’ he wrote alongside a photo captured of an adoring young fan at Wimbledon.
Nick Kyrgios (pictured with his ex Chiara Passari) has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend
‘This is why I play. To all my youngsters out there, believe in yourself,’ he 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
Ms Hatzi, left a series of emojis in the comment section which Kyrgios responded to with a single love-heart.
The tennis star is scheduled to play Chile’s Cristian Garin on Wednesday to win a spot in the Grand Slam’s semi-final.
Kyrgios’s barrister Jason Moffett, from Key Chambers, told The Canberra Times his client was aware of the allegations, which were ‘in the context of a domestic relationship’.
Kyrgios’ battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas was undoubtedly the most talked-about match of the tournament so far (pictured, Kyrgios arrives at the Wimbledon practice courts with his manager Daniel Horsfall on Tuesday)
It’s understood the matter concerns an allegation Kyrgios grabbed ex-girlfriend Ms Passari
The Australia looks on from the practice courts shortly after news broke he will need to face court next month
‘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.’
It’s understood the matter concerns an allegation Kyrgios grabbed 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.’
Nick Kyrgios takes a break during practice ahead of his quarter-final match at Wimbledon, just an hour after the allegations came to light
Kyrgios was approached by BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott as he returned from a training session on Tuesday afternoon.
She asked the athlete if he had any comment regarding the allegations.
Kyrgios is then seen telling a man in his entourage: ‘I feel like I’m in the Last Dance’ – in a reference to the 2020 documentary on Netflix.
The mini-series gave insight into the life and career of the famous basketball star during the Chicago Bulls’ final championship season in 1997.
Kyrgios, known largely to his supporters as a loveable rogue, is being fuelled by his critics in a bid to achieve his best grand slam result at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios’s barrister Jason Moffett told The Canberra Times his client was aware of the allegation. Kyrgios is pictured left, with his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari pictured right.
Kyrgios’ current girlfriend, 21-year-old Costeen Hatzi (pictured) has been travelling the world supporting him during this year’s tennis season
He struggled with a shoulder problem but recovered from a set down and then clinched the decider against 20-year-old American Nakashima on Monday, winning 4-6 6-4 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Chile’s Garin.
Kyrgios’ battle against Stefanos Tsitsipas was undoubtedly the most talked-about match of the tournament so far, and he received plenty of criticism for his on-court behaviour.
‘Honestly, I don’t care,’ Kyrgios said.
‘I just smile. It’s so funny. I joke around with my team about it so much. It’s hilarious.
‘I almost just wake up and read things, and I just laugh. And I never forget things people say, whether it was three, four years ago, things that just stick with me.
‘I have a massive chip on my shoulder. I sit here now in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset.’
Nick Kyrgios has been seen at Wimbledon support by girlfriend Costeen Hatzi (left), who he started dating after his relationship with Ms Passari
Chiara Passari, an Australian artist and influencer (right) started dating the tennis star (left) in the middle of 2020 with the relationship lasting about 18 months
Kyrgios was fined $10,000 after his first-round match for spitting towards a fan, was warned for swearing on Saturday and then called for Tsitsipas to be defaulted after the Greek hit a ball close to a spectator’s head after losing the second set.
Both players received fines on Sunday.
So far, he has been fined twice, and called the World No. 5 ‘soft’ for the opening four rounds – but he has combined that with brilliant tennis.
But it was a different story in his win over Nakashima where he showed model behaviour and a new level of focus.
Kyrgios displayed model behaviour during his match against Brandon Nakashima in Wimbledon on July 4, after a heated game against Stefanos Tsitsipas over the weekend
The athlete went Instagram official with Costeen (pictured at Wimbledon last week) last December, following his split from longtime girlfriend Chiara Passari
An explosive meltdown seemed imminent in the final game of the fourth set when Kyrgios put hardly any effort into his service game to hand the set to the American.
‘Why would you tank this game? Because that is exactly what this game is at the moment’, stunned nine-time Wimbledon doubles champ Woodbridge said in commentary.
‘He’s throwing this game to see what might happen at the start of the fifth. He needs to stay focused here, he’s lost his way.’
But Kyrgios, who was battling a nagging shoulder injury, defied expectations to lock down and compete hard in the final set to secure a famous victory.
Kyrgios’ drama-free performance on Monday (pictured) differed greatly to his antics against Stefanos Tsitsipas
His showmanship prompted experts on The Tennis Podcast to laud Kyrgios for his calmer approach in the gutsy five-set victory over his American opponent.
‘Who knows what will happen over the next few days but he has already done things this week that I didn’t really think he could do. I didn’t have much belief he could do,’ pundit Matt Roberts said.
‘He’s beaten a top 5 player over five sets, he’s won when there was a circus, he’s won when there wasn’t a circus, he’s backed up a real emotional high against Tstispas and won the next match. That’s so important in slams.
‘That’s how you win slams, by backing it up and doing it over and over again. He’s never really demonstrated that he can do that and he’s also won when he was a set down – he’s done that three times.’
Kyrgios (pictured at Wimbledon in June) was born in Canberra in 1995 and turned pro when he was just 18 after forming a love for tennis when he was just six-years-old
Kyrgios (pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) was also a talented basketball player but ultimately decided to pursue tennis as he thought it would result in fewer injuries
Co-hosts David Law and Catherine Whitaker endorsed Roberts’ view, labelling the victory over Nakashima one of the biggest of his career.
Kyrgios has built his career around being unpredictable on the court, with fans and players alike unsure what to expect when the natural talent hits the court.
The player is ranked as world No 40 in men’s singles and world No. 29 in doubles and was the first teenager to defeat a world No. 1 at a grand slam when he won victory over Spain’s Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in July, 2014.
He is a two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist and a six-time ATP singles champion.
Kyrgios earned his highest singles ranking of No. 13 in October of 2016 – having won three ATP titles that year.
In January 2022, Kyrgios won his first grand slam doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne alongside partner Thanasi Kokkinakis (pictured, the pair pose with their trophy)
The childhood friends became the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since 1997 (pictured, the pair in Wimbledon in July, 2013)
The then-144th-ranked Kyrgios also became the first player ranked outside the top 100 to defeat a world No. 1 at a grand slam.
In January 2022, Kyrgios won his second grand slam doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne alongside partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The childhood friends became the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since 1997.
Kyrgios is estimated to have earned a total of US$9,905,710 in prize money for his wins in both singles and doubles.
Throughout his career Kyrgios has been offered sponsorship deals with major companies including Yonex, Nike and Beats.
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