"Mental health is never an excuse to do something unacceptable" - Tennis fans unhappy with Nick Kyrgios' statement after avoiding criminal charges

After escaping criminal charges despite pleading guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari, Nick Kyrgios broke his silence on the issue, stating that he was "seriously sorry" for the hurt he caused and that he genuinely regretted his actions.

However, the Aussie also made it clear that he was in a bad place mentally at the time, implying that it was one of the reasons for the way he acted. The 27-year-old went on to declare that he is continuously working on his mental health and that he is getting better and better with time.

"I was not in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK and I am sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused,” Kyrgios said. "Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I have found that getting help and working on myself has allowed me to feel better."

Tennis fans, however, were not happy with his comments, lamenting how he did not even apologize to Passari. One fan pointed out the same, drawing attention to his "narcisstic" apology and self-victimization.

"This disgusting narcissist domestic abuser so self-centred, doesn’t even apologise the women she abused. He really think he is the victim!"

Several other users made it clear that Kyrgios' invoking of the "mental health" excuse should not validate his assault.

"Mental health is never an excuse to do something unacceptable. i know that he isn't gonna change is attitude," said one user.

"Mental health is tough but it’s also not an excuse for assaulting someone," opined another.

"Mental health huh ? This excuse is not valid. There are a lot of people suffering from mental health," said another user.

"His 'apology' is also all about himself," one user speculated.

""i'm sorry” “it’s not my fault” “it won’t happen again” “look how supportive my NEW gf is” the manipulation is disgusting," said another user.