An Australian tennis player named Nick Kyrgios is being sued by a Wimbledon final spectator who he claimed was “drunk out of her mind.”
Kyrgios, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the final in July, complained to the referee about the woman, saying she appeared to have consumed “around 700 beers.”
Kyrgios will now be the target of defamation charges initiated by Anna Palus after receiving legal advice.
She calls Kyrgios’ allegation “reckless and completely untrue.”
“Mr Kyrgios’ false allegation was broadcast to and read by millions around the world, causing me and my family very substantial damage and distress,” Palus said in a statement from attorneys Brett Wilson LLP. “Not only did this cause considerable harm on the day, resulting in my temporary removal from the arena, but it also caused me and my family very substantial damage and distress.”
Kyrgios remarked during the game: “She is interfering with my serving in a Wimbledon final while she is in the front row, talking to me while she is intoxicated, so kick her out. Every time I have the ball, she starts chatting to me in the middle of the point and I know who she is—she looks like she’s had about 700 beers.”
Palus, who went with her mother to the championship, continued: “Although I am not a litigious person, I have come to the conclusion that the only way to clear my name is for my attorneys to file a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Kyrgios.
“The only justifications for pursuing legal action are the necessity for redress and the desire to stop the claim from being repeated. Any damages that are recovered will be given to a good cause.
“I’m hoping Mr. Kyrgios will take stock of the hurt he’s done to myself and my family and come up with a speedy solution. Before the event that he refuses to do this, I am devoted to winning my case in the High Court.”
The 26-year-old Kyrgios, who recently made his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, is getting ready to compete in the US Open, which gets underway in New York City next week.
