Nick Kyrgios scandal highlights tennis’s complete failure to act on domestic violence issues

Allegations of domestic violence levelled at Nick Kyrgios have exposed tennis’s clueless bosses - and not for the first time.

Nick Kyrgios on the Wimbledon practice courts after being summonsed to a Canberra court. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty

In the sporting world where star athletes are punished at the mere mention of domestic violence allegations, Nick Kyrgios is lucky he is a tennis player.

While the NRL and AFL have either strong policies or discretionary powers that enable their bosses to make decisions about suspensions for players when charged with DV, tennis is still dragging the chain.

In November 2020 German star Alexander Zverev was accused of assaulting his former partner Olga Sharypova during a tumultuous 18-month relationship.

Zverev denied the allegations but it took the ATP until October 2021, almost a year later, to even acknowledge the claims and announce they would independently investigate the matter.

In March this year the ATP boss even admitted his organisation was clueless in how to handle such delicate issues.

“I can also say that this is all new territory for us as an organisation,” ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

“It has shown us areas in which we have some catching up to do and need to do more in the future.”

Nick Kyrgios on the Wimbledon practice courts after being summonsed to a Canberra court. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty

The ATP are still catching up, because the Zverev matter is still publicly unresolved 20 months after allegations were first aired.

Zverev was free to keep playing the entire time and would have been one of the main title threats at Wimbledon if not for the devastating ankle injury he suffered at the French Open.

While the facts of the Kyrgios allegations are not yet proven, or indeed publicly available, lawyers for Kyrgios had indicated he plans to contest the charges so it is unlikely any sporting body would conclude he must be immediately stood down.

In the NRL the automatic no-fault stand-down policy only applies for crimes that carry a minimum 11-year jail sentence. With domestic violence allegations, NRL boss Andrew Abdo can make a discretionary ruling.

Earlier this year the Melbourne Storm immediately stood down Tui Kamikamica after he was charged with assaulting a woman.

Alexander Zverev. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/AFP

But the club, not the NRL, acted with knowledge of the facts and having interviewed the player themselves.

The Storm staked their reputation on respecting women and acted quickly.

“Storm believes firmly that there is no place in the game or society for violence against women at any time, in any circumstance,” the club said in a statement.

Kamikamica’s charges were later withdrawn in court but he was still fined $10,000 by the NRL and banned for nine weeks.

The AFL operates under a case-by-case assessment system with no official stand-down policy in place.

It has a mandatory respect and responsibility program in place for players, with league boss Gillon McLachlan telling the Herald Sun in 2020 that the league’s call not to implement a no-fault stand-down policy had also taken into account that “the presumption of innocence is also an important part of the justice system.”

Jordan De Goey was stood down by Collingwood after he was charged with assault in New York in late 2021 while former Swan Elijah Taylor was stood down and then sacked by the club after assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2020.

But Australian sporting clubs live and die by anxious sponsors, the ATP is a billion-dollar beast and their words are often as meek as their actions.

Tui Kamikamica was stood down by the NRL. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty

The ATP, which has already fined Kyrgios upwards of $800,000 over his career for misbehaviour, moves at such glacial speed they’re likely to wait until the matter is decided by the courts before issuing any punishment.

The All England Club that runs Wimbledon has already acknowledged the Kyrgios situation, but declared he can continue to play the tournament.

Wimbledon officials banned Russian players from the grand slam this year, partly out of fear Vladimir Putin would use images of a Russian champion receiving the trophy from a member of the Royal family as propaganda.

Now it’s Kyrgios who may be the man who wins the crown on Sunday.

Duchess Kate presenting Nick Kyrgios with the champion’s trophy may not be the greatest image for tennis right now either.

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios scandal highlights tennis’s complete failure to act on domestic violence issues