Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis after testing positive for cocaine. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that Kyrgios has been suspended since August 4, following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, from a sample provided during a June tournament in Mallorca, Spain.
Kyrgios, the former Wimbledon finalist, expressed remorse in a detailed Instagram post, acknowledging his mistake and accepting full responsibility. Despite once being ranked as world number 13, injuries have significantly affected his performance, causing his ranking to drop to 919. This season, the 31-year-old has only participated in four singles matches and received a wild card for doubles at Wimbledon, where he and his partner, Alexander Bublik, were eliminated in the first round.
Due to his suspension, Kyrgios is barred from participating in or coaching at events organized or sanctioned by any global or national tennis bodies. Although Kyrgios has the right to appeal the provisional suspension, the ITIA noted that he has not yet done so.
In his Instagram post, Kyrgios apologized to his supporters, family, sponsors, and especially to the young fans who look up to him. He acknowledged the poor example his actions set and expressed disappointment in himself. Kyrgios also provided context for his behavior, citing the toll that injuries and the realization of approaching the end of his career have taken on him, both physically and mentally. He revealed that the transition from his tennis-centric life has been challenging, leading to feelings of helplessness and isolation.
Kyrgios announced that he would withdraw from social media and public life for a month to focus on self-improvement. He emphasized that he would never intentionally dope in tennis, despite his controversial reputation for on-court antics such as shouting, arguing with umpires, and breaking rackets.
In the past, Kyrgios faced various controversies, including making derogatory remarks to opponents and admitting to assaulting an ex-partner. Furthermore, he apologized for sharing content from a notorious influencer, Andrew Tate. Previously, Kyrgios criticized how tennis handled high-profile doping cases involving top players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, calling the situations detrimental to the sport’s image.
Years ago, he raised concerns about the smell of marijuana affecting his concentration during a U.S. Open match in New York. Despite his current situation, Kyrgios insists that he would never engage in doping within the sport.