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Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios is being sued by the spectator he had temporarily removed during the Wimbledon final earlier this year, after he said she was distracting him and appeared heavily intoxicated.
“She’s drunk out of her mind in the first row and talking to me in the middle of the game,” Kyrgios told the umpire during the third set of his match against Novak Djokovic.
“The one who looks like she’s had about 700 drinks.”
The spectator was Anna Palus, a 32-year-old Polish medical lawyer. She denies Kyrgios’ allegations against her and said the whole incident has caused her and her family “very substantial damage and distress.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, Aug. 23, Palus said she and her mother, who was in attendance with her, had been looking forward to the event for a while. Palus said Kyrgios comments against her were “reckless and entirely baseless” and affected her more than just that particular day.
“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,” read her statement.
Paulus was only temporarily removed, given some water, and was allowed back in after about 15 minutes. She apologized for her behavior later that day.
“He always says the crowd is against him and I wanted to show we were for him, I wanted to encourage him,” she told The Sun after the incident. “I only had one Pimm’s and one rosé. It’s the temperature for me, I had no hat. I’m really sorry.”
Paulus said that after much consideration, she decided to open defamation proceedings against Kyrgios to clear her name and prevent repetition of allegations. She said any damages recovered will be donated to charity.
“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,” Paulus wrote. “However, if he is unwilling to do this, I am committed to obtaining vindication in the High Court.”
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