The kids appreciated the cash but wished they'd stop shouting.
Tennis ace Nick Kyrgios has agreed to pay £20,000 to settle defamation proceedings brought against him by a lawyer he publicly accused of being drunk during the 2022 Wimbledon Men's Final.
Polish lawyer Anna Palus was temporarily ejected from the stadium after Kyrgios told the umpire she was distracting him and looked like she had consumed "700 drinks".
In a statement released by Palus's solicitors, Knight Temple Law, Kyrgios said he was sorry for his comments.
"I told the umpire that a fan, who I now know to be Anna Palus, was distracting me during the match, believing that she was drunk", said the world number 22. "I accept that belief was mistaken, and I apologise".
"To make amends, I have donated £20,000 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, a charity chosen by Ms Palus", he said.
Midway through his match against Novak Djokovic, a frustrated Kyrgios told the umpire, "She's shouting at me when I'm serving in a Wimbledon final. There's no bigger occasion. You didn't believe me, and then she did it again and it nearly cost me the game".
"Why's she still here?" he demanded, in an exchange watched live by over seven and a half million people. "She's drunk out of her mind in the first row and talking to me in the middle of a game. What's acceptable?"
After the umpire replied, "Nothing is acceptable', Kyrgios said, "Ok, kick her out", and when asked to describe her, said, "I know exactly which one it is. The one in the dress, who looks like she's had about 700 drinks, bro".
"She's drunk out of her mind and talking to me in the middle of a game. She's the one who looks like she's had 700 drinks."
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) July 10, 2022
Classic Nick Kyrgios#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/mhDw7M2Zbd
The umpire arranged for Palus's removal, although after 15 minutes she was allowed back in to watch Kyrgios lose to Djokovic and collect the £1.05m runner-up prize.
Shortly after the tournament, the 32-year-old medical lawyer announced that although she was "not litigious", Kyrgios had "made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me" and she had "no alternative" but to sue him for defamation "in order to clear my name".
"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", she said.
As a result, Great Ormond Street is the first and only hospital to benefit from a boy who refused to grow up and a lady who denied being sloshed.
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good clean fun
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The Nick Kyrgios who is supposed to have assaulted his ex-girlfriend? Now featuring in another example where he attempts to blame a woman for his own failings. What a complete non-shocker.
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"As a result, Great Ormond Street is the first and only hospital to benefit from a boy who refused to grow up and a lady who denied being sloshed."
Genuinely chuckled out loud over that.
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Massive credit to the solicitor for asking for the money to go to charity instead of herself. Basically she has donated £20k to the hospital and he has just paid what was due.
For all the bad things our profession can get up to sometimes, this is genuinely nice so fair play to her.
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He baits the crowd when it suits him, often as a dirty weapon against his opponent when he is losing. But acs the victim when the crowd does not obey his every command. Don't poke the bear in the zoo, bro!