Ania Palus: Wimbledon fan Nick Kyrgios accused of having '700 drinks' is suing him for defamation
LONDON: A woman whom Nick Kyrgios accused of drinking too much and distracting him during the Wimbledon championship match in July is suing him now. Ania Palus was present to watch the final with her mother when the 27-year-old Australian got angry at her after she apparently began to talk when he was about to serve. Kyrgios had asked the umpire to throw her off Center Court.
He had also reportedly called her “the one who looks like she's had about 700 drinks.” At the time, Palus was taken out from the court but later she was given permission to watch the game. Palus has said in a statement, “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. During the course of the final, Nick Kyrgios made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me.”
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The statement, released via her solicitors Brett Wilson, noted: “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 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,” Palus added.
"She's the one who looks like she's had 700 drinks, bro."
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 10, 2022
Nick Kyrgios was fed up with a heckler in the stands at Wimbledon 😅
(via @ChrisHammer180)pic.twitter.com/j5XnPpZWNc
Earlier, after the drama in July, the 32-year-old Polish medical lawyer had defended herself. Kyrgios had alleged that “she's distracting me when I'm serving in a Wimbledon final.” He told the umpire, “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?”
'I’d only had two…but it WAS rather hot' says ‘700 drinks’ woman who Nick Kyrgios had thrown off Wimbledon Centre Court https://t.co/V16V8n2kts
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) July 11, 2022
And when the umpire said “nothing is acceptable,” Kyrgios added at the time: “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.”
Justifying herself, Palus had told The Sun, “He always says the crowd is against him and I wanted to show we were for him, I wanted to encourage him. I only had one Pimm's and one rosé. It's the temperature for me, I had no hat. I'm really sorry.”