Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from the sport after testing positive for cocaine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old former Wimbledon finalist tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, from a sample collected during an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain, in June. A World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of the banned substance on July 17.
Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended since August 4 and has not appealed the decision.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the Australian accepted responsibility for the positive test, describing it as a “huge mistake” and apologising to his fans, family, sponsors and supporters.
“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” Kyrgios said.
He also apologised to young fans who look up to him, saying he was disappointed in himself over the example the incident sets.
Strict Anti-drug Rules
Cocaine is classified by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a stimulant and substance of abuse. Under tennis anti-doping rules, it is prohibited during competition.
Kyrgios said the positive test came amid a difficult period in his career, marked by persistent injuries and the psychological strain of being unable to perform at his previous level.
“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally,” he said, adding that coming to terms with being near the end of his career had been harder than he expected.
Kyrgios reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, but his career has since been severely disrupted by injuries. He missed the entire 2024 season and has undergone wrist reconstruction and knee surgeries.
He has played only 10 matches since the beginning of 2023, causing his ranking to fall sharply. His most recent appearance came at Wimbledon earlier this year, where he partnered Alexander Bublik in the men’s doubles competition. The pair lost in the first round.
The provisional suspension prevents Kyrgios from playing in, coaching at or attending events organised by World Tennis, the WTA, ATP, Grand Slam tournaments or national tennis associations.
Kyrgios said he would withdraw from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on his wellbeing.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better,” he said.
Previous Criticism of Other Players
The suspension comes after Kyrgios had previously been outspoken about doping cases involving other leading players. He criticised what he considered lenient treatment of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek following their respective anti-doping cases.
Sinner served a three-month suspension after testing positive twice in 2024 for trace amounts of clostebol, while Swiatek accepted a one-month ban following a positive test for trimetazidine.
Kyrgios had described the cases as damaging to the credibility of tennis and called the sport’s handling of doping matters “disgusting.”
