The 27-year-old arrived on crutches at the court in his hometown of Canberra, accompanied by his mother and his partner, AFP journalists noted.

The lawsuits were made public in July 2022 when police reported that a 27-year-old man - later confirmed to be Kyrgios - had been summoned to court "following an incident in December 2021".

The details of the charge are not known.

But according to Australian media, including public broadcaster ABC, the alleged incident involves his ex-girlfriend.

Lawyers for the tennis player previously indicated that the Wimbledon runner-up would seek to have the assault charges dropped due to mental health issues.

The 27-year-old Australian born in Canberra, known for his spectacular play and tantrums on the courts, has gone public with his battle with depression and the repercussions of his global stardom.

In October 2022, while Kyrgios was taking part in the Japan tournament, the hearing was postponed to allow an assessment of his mental health.

"There are only a few things I can control and I am taking all necessary measures to deal with them off the court," the Australian said from Tokyo at the time.

Under local law, some charges can be dropped due to "mental disorder", but magistrates must also consider the seriousness of the alleged offence.

In 2014, Kyrgios, then a 19-year-old complete stranger, stunned the tennis world by defeating Rafael Nadal, then world No.1, to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

The terrible child of Australian tennis has shaped the image of an angry and divisive player, who collects fines, and is often accused of not playing to his full potential.

However, he reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, his first Grand Slam, losing to Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios won the 2022 Australian Open in doubles with friend Thanasi Kokkinakis but was forced to withdraw from this year's tournament due to a knee injury.

© 2023 AFP