Nick Kyrgios has been refused “indulgence” from a court date in November, after the tennis star’s lawyer asked for a three-month delay because his client doesn’t spend much time in the Australian Capital Territory .
On Tuesday, the ACT Magistrates’ Court convened for a hearing on Kyrgios’ case, after he was summoned to face a charge of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in relation to an incident in Canberra last December.
Kyrgios is scheduled to play the US Open from August 29 to September 11, after reaching the Wimbledon final and winning the Citi Open earlier in August.
Kyrgios’ lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith asked Magistrate Louise Taylor on Tuesday to adjourn the case to November 25, noting the tennis star spends “very little time in the ACT” and his time ” it doesn’t align with the availability of the courts.”
Kukulies-Smith also noted that he himself would be “on leave all of December and the first part of January.”
Kukulies-Smith foreshadowed a request that could be “capable of finalizing the matter” in the proposed November hearing, but said she did not want to say more, pointing to the many reporters present in court.
Kukulies-Smith said she did not want to take time to file an application for the court to be closed.
Magistrate Taylor replied: “I’m not sure what the case for secrecy is… [The proposed November date is] an indulgence for you and your client. I will not list the matter on the basis of any request that may be made.”
The ACT Crown Prosecution Service did not oppose the application, but Magistrate Taylor refused the request to “reserve time for some unknown reason”, noting that the ordinary process is to ask the accused “if there there is a plea of guilty or not guilty.” .
As an alternative, Kyrgios’ lawyer asked for a six-week adjournment to spend more time in dialogue with the DPP.
Magistrate Taylor noted that the DPP usually requests shorter adjournments, of two weeks, but when the request was not opposed, she granted it and listed the matter for October 4.
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In July, an ACT Police spokesman said: “ACT Police can confirm that a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court… in relation to a charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021.”
At the time, Kyrgios’ lawyer Pierre Johannessen said he was “committed to addressing each and every allegation once it becomes clear.”
In the Wimbledon post-match press conferences, Kyrgios said it was “difficult … to focus on the mission at hand” because of the allegation.
“Obviously I have a lot of thoughts, a lot of things I want to say, a little bit of my side of it. Obviously, I’ve been advised by my lawyers that I can’t say anything at this time.”