Nikoloz Basilashvili has been found not guilty of physical and psychological abuse of his former wife.
Basilashvili was arrested in May 2020 after allegations that he attacked his ex-wife, Neli Dorokashvili, whilst their son was present. However, the Georgian ATP tennis player was later released on bail, and the trial has been ongoing ever since over the domestic violence case.
In the latest development, Judge Maia Tetrauli of the Tbilisi City Court announced that Basilashvili was found not guilty following years of trial and evidence from both sides. A report from Georgia Today said that neither Basilashvili nor Dorokashvili was in attendance for the verdict on Tuesday, July 11.
The case has hung over Basilashvili since 2020, and the 31-year-old's tennis career has suffered due to the ongoing case and due to injury struggles. In May 2023, the Georgian player revealed how a continuous elbow injury has caused him problems and drew him towards alcohol and painkillers.
Even though the case has been ongoing for the last three years, Basilashvili has continued to play on the ATP Tour and last featured in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 Roland Garros. However, the Georgian player lost in his first qualifier against Italian player Giulio Zeppieri.
It marks a rapid downfall for Basilashvili, who reached a career-high of 16th in the ATP Rankings in 2019. Now the 31-year-old is 323rd in the ATP standings, and, as yet, there is no indication about when Basilashvili will make a return to the court after he has won just three of his 16 competitive matches during the 2023 season.
The recent domestic abuse case against Basilashvili has not been the only recent allegation that the Georgian has faced either. In July 2022, Basilashvili and Aslan Karatsev were accused of match-fixing, while the pair's former coach, Yahor Yatsik, was reportedly involved in the scandal after making payments to players to lose matches on purpose.
0 Comments