By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia
02:04 05 Jul 2024, updated 02:04 05 Jul 2024
- Aussie star played 2022 Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic
- Has not played any professional tennis since June in 2023
- Found himself in awkward spot while commentating
Polarising Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios has begged a fellow commentator at Wimbledon not to bring up his previous legal issues, but it was not his common assault charge against a former girlfriend that he was trying to suppress.
Kyrgios is part of the BBC commentary team at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club again this year after last playing a competitive tennis match in June 2023 due to a shocking run with injuries.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist has battled serious wrist, knee and foot ailments over the last two years, not to mention various legal dramas along the way.
That included being charged with common assault for shoving his former girlfriend Chiara Passari, which he pled guilty to in 2021.
Kyrgios was not impressed when BBC One fellow commentator and former tennis star Andrew Castle brought up a completely different drama altogether.
The veteran commentator instead decided to grill Kyrgios about infamously having a spectator removed from the crowd at Wimbledon during his men’s singles final loss to Novak Djokovic, saying at the time ‘it looks like she’s had about 700 drinks’.
‘She’s distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final. There’s no other bigger occasion, you didn’t believe me and then she did it again. It nearly cost me the game,’ Kyrgios ranted.
‘Why is she still here? She’s drunk out of her mind and speaking to me in the middle of a game. What’s acceptable? Kick her out. I know exactly which one it is. The one in the dress, who looks like she’s had about 700 drinks, bro.’
Kyrgios and Castle were commentating the all-English showdown between Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie when the incident came up.
Draper complained to the chair umpire about a member of the crowd, saying ‘that guy needs to stop talking on my serve’ which prompted a warning to the crowd from the official.
Castle was quick to seize on the parallels, quipping: ‘Draper is a bit irritated by someone. Maybe they’ve had 500 beers mate?’
Kyrgios quickly replied: ‘Awww, nah! We can’t mention that, I’ll get in trouble!’
‘Since when do you try to avoid that?’ Castle asked.
‘Yeah, you’re not wrong,’ Kyrgios replied in a fit of laughter.
Castle: ‘Turning over a new leaf? Being a good boy?’
Kyrgios: ‘I’m trying to find the balance.’
While Kyrgios could see the funny side of the incident, it was a different case back in 2022 when the Aussie star paid a very heavy penalty for his accusations.
The woman in question was Polish lawyer Anna Palus who claimed she had only consumed two alcoholic drinks and decided to bring defamation proceedings against Kyrgios in order to ‘clear her name’.
She insisted at the time that she was not a lawyer who would usually consider this course of action, but felt she had no choice.
‘I am not litigious, but after much consideration, I have concluded that that I have no alternative but to instruct my solicitors Brett Wilson LLP to bring defamation proceedings against Mr Kyrgios in order to clear my name,’ she said in a statement.
Kyrgios would go on to apologise to Palus and admitted that he was ‘mistaken’ over his Centre Court claim and the proceedings were dropped.
‘I accept that belief was mistaken, and I apologise,’ Kyrgios said at the time.
‘To make amends, I have donated £20,000 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, a charity chosen by Ms Palus.
‘I will not be commenting on this matter again.’
It is the second time this tournament that Kyrgios has come under fire for his past run ins with the law.
Previously, conservative MP and women and equalities committee chair Caroline Nokes said the BBC should ‘should hang its head in shame’ for installing the Aussie star as a commentator after he pled guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari.
Kyrgios was not criminally convicted for pushing his former girlfriend to the ground during an argument in Canberra in 2021.
The act, classified as common assault, was considered a moment of ‘stupidity’ and ‘frustration’ rather than a planned action. According to the BBC, this incident should not affect his ability to work on their coverage.
‘As a current and high profile player, Nick Kyrgios will provide insight and analysis of the action on the court from his experience in the game,’ the BBC said in a statement.
‘We are in no way condoning his cited previous actions or behaviours, on and off the court, and he is employed to share his views on tennis only.
‘He has provided similar services to other major sports broadcasters in recent months.
‘The legal process he was involved in has concluded, is well documented, and he has spoken about it publicly.’