- Nick Kyrgios has shared his ordeal after his family was attacked
- A masked gunman stole his Tesla car last year
- He pulled a shotgun on his mother, Norlaila, to steal the vehicle
Nick Kyrgios was left ‘incredibly angry’ as the tennis star recalled waking up to the sound of his mother screaming during a horrific attack on his family.
Kyrgios’ mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, said in a victim impact statement that her encounter with a masked gunman “shattered my soul, my peace and my perception of the world around me.”
In May 2023, an armed killer pointed a gun at Norlaila’s head before stealing Kyrgios’ luxury Tesla car, worth $125,000.
The gunman, 33, has not been named for legal reasons but has a significant criminal history. He was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated robbery and failing to stop for police.
Nick Kyrgios has opened up about the terrifying attack on his family last year
The tennis star’s green Tesla (photo) was stolen by a masked gunman
His criminal record includes a conviction for culpable driving causing death, dating back to when he was just 14 years old when he killed university student Clea Rose in central Canberra while fleeing in a stolen car the police.
In relation to the incident last year, the court heard how the robber stole Kyrgios’ vehicle from outside his family home in northern Canberra. He knocked on the door while the tennis player was sleeping in the building.
He shouted a fake name to encourage Norlaila to open the door, before presenting the shotgun and threatening to hand over the keys to her son’s bright green sports car.
When Kyrgios woke up, he limited the vehicle’s speed and reported its movements to police using the Tesla app.
Police apprehended the perpetrator and arrested him in Ainslie.
Kyrgios said in his victim impact statement that he was still struggling to sleep and worried about the safety of his family.
“Every time we hear a noise, we assume the worst,” Kyrgios said.
Kyrgios recalled waking up to the sound of his mother’s screams during the attack
He says he hopes the perpetrator’s conviction will bring peace to his family
“Nothing prepares you for being woken up by your mother’s screams.”
In a press release later issued by his lawyer, Kyrgios said he hopes the sentencing hearing will bring “a small measure of peace” to his mother.
‘[I hope] the court recognizes the fear and trauma that my family has experienced, because we feel that we cannot be safe in our parental home, the place where I grew up and where all those beautiful memories must now coexist with the memory to a gun pointed at my mother’s face,” he said.
After the incident, Norlaila fled Australia, ‘desperate for refuge’ in her native Malaysia.
She has since sought professional help for her mental health after returning to Canberra, and upgraded her home security system.
She says the enhanced protection only “serves as a constant reminder of the horror I faced.”
The robber apologized to the Kyrgios family and the court in a letter, which he read out.
Acting Judge Rebecca Christensen is expected to sentence next month.