<p>Tennis star Nick Kyrgios on Friday pleaded guilty to assaulting a former girlfriend, but avoided a conviction for what the magistrate called a "single act of stupidity".</p>.<p>The Canberra magistrate dismissed the assault charge against the 27-year-old Australian player.</p>.<p>Appearing in a Canberra court, the Wimbledon finalist admitted assaulting then-girlfriend Chiara Passari on January 10, 2021, by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.</p>.<p>Passari lodged a complaint with police 10 months later, after they had broken up, lawyers told the court.</p>.<p>In a statement read to the court, Passari said she had been severely traumatised by the incident, experiencing severe weight loss, staying in bed day and night -- unable to sleep or form new romantic relationships.</p>.<p>Lawyers for Kyrgios had appealed to have the charge, one count of common assault, dismissed on mental health grounds, arguing it was an isolated incident and out of character.</p>.<p>Psychologist Sam Borenstein told the court Kyrgios suffered from recurring major depression, which included black periods, thoughts of self harm, insomnia, agitation and feelings of guilt.</p>.<p>Borenstein said the tennis star had relied on alcohol and drugs as a means of coping, but was now making progress in dealing with the issues.</p>.<p>"As we speak now his mental health has improved significantly," Borenstein said.</p>.<p>Magistrate Beth Campbell heard that appeal but ultimately dismissed the charge.</p>.<p>Campbell said Kyrgios acted poorly but the offence was not planned or premeditated and was a "single act of stupidity" by a young man attempting to extricate himself from a tense situation.</p>.<p>Kyrgios was said to have shoved Passari, who was preventing him from leaving her Canberra apartment.</p>.<p>"I do not record a conviction against your name, I do not find any necessity to place you on a good behaviour bond," Campbell said.</p>.<p>Kyrgios had hobbled into court in Canberra with a pair of crutches and a brace on his knee, after suffering a "gruesome" injury that sidelined him at last month's Australian Open.</p>.<p>He was flanked by his current girlfriend Costeen Hatzi, an interior designer, and his mother Norlaila.</p>.<p>Kyrgios, who has clashed with media in the past, did not speak to reporters on his way into the building.</p>.<p>Canberra-born Kyrgios, known for his mercurial talent and on-court outbursts, has spoken publicly in the past about his battles with depression and the pressures of global tennis fame.</p>.<p>"I'm proud to say I've completely turned myself around and have a completely different outlook on everything, I don't take one moment for granted," he wrote on Instagram last year.</p>.<p>The case was adjourned in October, as Kyrgios prepared to play the Japan Open, so experts could prepare mental health reports for the court.</p>.<p>"There's only so much I can control and I'm taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court," Kyrgios said from Tokyo at the time.</p>.<p>Currently ranked 20th in the world, Kyrgios featured prominently in the first episode of Netflix's new Break Point tennis documentary.</p>.<p>The fan favourite won the Australian Open men's doubles crown with close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis last year but was ruled out of this year's tournament before playing a match.</p>.<p>His manager Daniel Horsfall said he had recently undergone surgery to remove a cyst inside his knee.</p>.<p>"The surgery went great, to be honest, we couldn't have asked for a better result," he told radio station SEN.</p>.<p>"He might be recovering faster than what we were expecting, so it's good news."</p>.<p>Kyrgios burst to fame as a 19-year-old in 2014, when he shocked the tennis world by beating Rafael Nadal to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.</p>.<p>Often criticised for squandering his talents, Kyrgios reached the final of last year's Wimbledon, but was comprehensively beaten by Novak Djokovic.</p>
<p>Tennis star Nick Kyrgios on Friday pleaded guilty to assaulting a former girlfriend, but avoided a conviction for what the magistrate called a "single act of stupidity".</p>.<p>The Canberra magistrate dismissed the assault charge against the 27-year-old Australian player.</p>.<p>Appearing in a Canberra court, the Wimbledon finalist admitted assaulting then-girlfriend Chiara Passari on January 10, 2021, by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.</p>.<p>Passari lodged a complaint with police 10 months later, after they had broken up, lawyers told the court.</p>.<p>In a statement read to the court, Passari said she had been severely traumatised by the incident, experiencing severe weight loss, staying in bed day and night -- unable to sleep or form new romantic relationships.</p>.<p>Lawyers for Kyrgios had appealed to have the charge, one count of common assault, dismissed on mental health grounds, arguing it was an isolated incident and out of character.</p>.<p>Psychologist Sam Borenstein told the court Kyrgios suffered from recurring major depression, which included black periods, thoughts of self harm, insomnia, agitation and feelings of guilt.</p>.<p>Borenstein said the tennis star had relied on alcohol and drugs as a means of coping, but was now making progress in dealing with the issues.</p>.<p>"As we speak now his mental health has improved significantly," Borenstein said.</p>.<p>Magistrate Beth Campbell heard that appeal but ultimately dismissed the charge.</p>.<p>Campbell said Kyrgios acted poorly but the offence was not planned or premeditated and was a "single act of stupidity" by a young man attempting to extricate himself from a tense situation.</p>.<p>Kyrgios was said to have shoved Passari, who was preventing him from leaving her Canberra apartment.</p>.<p>"I do not record a conviction against your name, I do not find any necessity to place you on a good behaviour bond," Campbell said.</p>.<p>Kyrgios had hobbled into court in Canberra with a pair of crutches and a brace on his knee, after suffering a "gruesome" injury that sidelined him at last month's Australian Open.</p>.<p>He was flanked by his current girlfriend Costeen Hatzi, an interior designer, and his mother Norlaila.</p>.<p>Kyrgios, who has clashed with media in the past, did not speak to reporters on his way into the building.</p>.<p>Canberra-born Kyrgios, known for his mercurial talent and on-court outbursts, has spoken publicly in the past about his battles with depression and the pressures of global tennis fame.</p>.<p>"I'm proud to say I've completely turned myself around and have a completely different outlook on everything, I don't take one moment for granted," he wrote on Instagram last year.</p>.<p>The case was adjourned in October, as Kyrgios prepared to play the Japan Open, so experts could prepare mental health reports for the court.</p>.<p>"There's only so much I can control and I'm taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court," Kyrgios said from Tokyo at the time.</p>.<p>Currently ranked 20th in the world, Kyrgios featured prominently in the first episode of Netflix's new Break Point tennis documentary.</p>.<p>The fan favourite won the Australian Open men's doubles crown with close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis last year but was ruled out of this year's tournament before playing a match.</p>.<p>His manager Daniel Horsfall said he had recently undergone surgery to remove a cyst inside his knee.</p>.<p>"The surgery went great, to be honest, we couldn't have asked for a better result," he told radio station SEN.</p>.<p>"He might be recovering faster than what we were expecting, so it's good news."</p>.<p>Kyrgios burst to fame as a 19-year-old in 2014, when he shocked the tennis world by beating Rafael Nadal to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.</p>.<p>Often criticised for squandering his talents, Kyrgios reached the final of last year's Wimbledon, but was comprehensively beaten by Novak Djokovic.</p>