Picture Credit: Twitter
Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios is seeking to get relief from assault charges on the basis of his ongoing mental health challenges. Notably, Kyrgios's lawyer appeared for him at a hearing in the magistrates' court of the Australian Capital Territory, for the assault charges involving his former girlfriend dating to an incident in January 2021.
The 27-year-old Tennis star player didn't appear for the largely administrative hearing and is currently in Tokyo to take part in the Japan Open. Kyrgios' lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith, sought an adjournment to allow time for a mental health assessment to be carried out.
Reports suggested that Smith cited his client's mental health issues stating that his mental challenges are known to everyone. Magistrate Glenn Theakston adjourned the case until February 3 when Kyrgios' lawyers are likely to appeal for the charges to be dismissed under a section of the local crimes law.
Kyrgios is expected to appear in court in person on that date for the first time since he was charged by police by summons in July. Notably, the law gives magistrates the power to dismiss a charge if they are satisfied with the fact that the accused person is mentally impaired and dealing with an allegation in that way would benefit the community and the defendant.
Earlier, in February, Kyrgios opened up about his mental health struggles in an Insta post and said that he battled depression, but with time and the support of friends, he has been able to overcome it.
"I felt as if I couldn't talk or trust anyone," he wrote alongside a photo of himself from 2019. I've been through those times when it seemed as if those positive energetic vibes were never ever going to be reality," he wrote.
Kyrgios shot to fame at Wimbledon in 2014 at age 19, beating Rafael Nadal on his way to the tournament's quarterfinals. He won the Australian Open men's doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis in January 2022, before losing the Wimbledon single's final to Novak Djokovic in July.