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He’s become one of the most colourful, and controversial figures in his sport – and the life of Nick Kyrgios is rarely dull off the court either. The maverick Australian reached his first Grand Slam final last year at Wimbledon, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic, and finally hinted at showcasing is undeniable potential.
It has been a question long-associated with the talented Australian – whether his tennis would one day do the talking. For much of his career his name has been synonymous with controversy.
For example, at the 2019 Italian Open, Kyrgios lost his cool on court against Casper Ruud and was eventually disqualified from the match. That decision came after he insulted a fan, kicked a bottle, threw his racket and threw a chair on the court.
And even his Wimbledon exploits last year weren’t without their moments as his third-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas will always be remembered for the ill-tempered behaviour of the two players. Both were eventually fined after the match.
There was also the famous incident during the final where he singled out a fan in the crowd who he claimed looked like “she’d had 700 drinks”. But for all his divisive tendencies, away from tennis lies an astute individual.
Animal support
Kyrgios has admitted to battles with mental health, and his past use of drugs and alcohol. But diet-wise, he has been strictly veggie ever since 2020 – but it’s not a sport related decision.
The 27-year-old attributes his choice of food to the devastating bush fires than rampaged through Australia. He claims that seeing the amount of animals killed in the harrowing blazes forced him to re-think his diet.
“I’ve been passionate about animal welfare for some time now,” Kyrgios wrote in a post for Athlete’s Voice. “I don’t eat meat or dairy anymore. That’s not for my health, I just don’t believe in eating animals.
“I tried a vegan diet a couple of years ago but with all the travel I do, it was hard to stick to it. Since then I’ve managed to make it work, and I’ve been vegetarian for quite a while.
“Seeing the footage of these animals suffering with the fires only reinforces why I’ve chosen this diet. When I see these terrible photos, I can’t comprehend eating meat.”
Courting controversy
Kyrgios was once in a relationship with fellow Australian tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic. Things didn’t work out there, but it was a later relationship with model Chiara Passari that saw him in the eye of a public storm.
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Last year he was summoned to appear in court to face a charge of common assault on his ex-partner in December 2021. In January this year, the Canberra man pled guilty but was not convicted, with the Magistrate accepting he had “acted poorly in the heat of the moment.”
Kyrgios released a statement after the ruling saying that he was grateful to the court but wanted to move on.
“I respect today’s ruling and I’m grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” he wrote. “I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.”
Happy with Hatzi
Regardless of past relationship problems, Kyrgios has found happiness with social-media influencer and interior designer Costeen Hatzi. The pair have been together for 14 months, with Hatzi present throughout his run at SW19 last year. He’s even vowed to play the French Open because his girlfriend wants to visit Paris.
Much of their relationship was showcased in Netflix’s Break Point, which featured the pair behind the scenes. Whether it’s at the dinner table, practice sessions or hanging out with Kyrgios, Hatzi has been by his side and proved an important figure.
“We’ve been together about two and a half months,” Hatzi said to Netflix’s Break Point. “We met online and we’ve been hanging out every day since.”
And Kyrgios has heaped praise on the impact his girlfriend has had in his life, crediting her for “taming him” and helping the Aussie to calm him down off the court.
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