Nick Kyrgios to be sued by Wimbledon tennis fan after '700 drinks' comment

Kieran Francis

Nick Kyrgios to be sued by Wimbledon tennis fan after '700 drinks' comment image

Nick Kyrgios is set for more courtroom drama after a Wimbledon fan he accused of having '700 drinks' revealed she is is suing the Australian tennis star.

Polish lawyer Anna Palus released a statement confirming legal action against the 27-year-old for his comments made during the Wimbledon final he lost against Novak Djokovic.

Palus was removed from the crowd at Wimbledon's centre court after Kyrgios accused her of being drunk and distracting him, with the Australian heard on broadcast coverage to say she had downed '700 drinks'.

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The new legal situation comes less than 48 hours after Kyrgios was given an adjournment until October by an Australian court for a charge of assaulting former girlfriend Chiara Passari.

Via a statement from her solicitor, Palus explained she was attempting to 'clear her name' after Kyrgios' accusations were broadcast around the world.

“On Sunday 10 July 2022 I attended the final of the Wimbledon tennis championships with my mother. It was an event we had been looking forward to for some time," Palus said.

“During the course of the final, Nick Kyrgios made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me.

“Not only did this cause considerable harm on the day, resulting in my temporary removal from the arena, but Mr Kyrgios’s false allegation was broadcast to, and read by, millions around the world, causing me and my family very substantial damage and distress.

“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.

“The need to obtain vindication, and to prevent repetition of the allegation, are the only reasons for taking legal action.

“Any damages recovered will be donated to charity. Given the extant claim, I am unable to comment further on the events of the day in question.

“I hope that Mr Kyrgios will reflect on the harm he has caused me and my family and offer a prompt resolution to this matter.

“However, if he is unwilling to do this, I am committed to obtaining vindication in the High Court.”

During the final which he lost in four sets to Djokovic, Kyrgios stopped playing and had a conversation with the chair umpire, accusing Palus of distracting him during his serve.

“She’s distracting me when I’m serving in a Wimbledon final,” Kyrgios said.

“There’s no other bigger occasion, you didn’t believe me and then she did it again. It nearly cost me the game.

“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?

“Ok 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.”

MORE: Why Nick Kyrgios' reaction to Novak Djokovic defeat in Wimbledon final suggests the best is still to come

Kyrgios is currently preparing for the US Open - which begins on August 29 - where he will be one of the favourites after enjoying the best season of his career.

The Australian has reached the final of Wimbledon, won a title at Washington and made semi finals at Halle, Stuttgart and Houston.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.