Tennis Player Nick Kyrgios Provisionally Suspended After Testing Positive for Cocaine

^{Nick Kyrgios / © Shutterstock}

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has revealed that he tested positive for cocaine. The 31-year-old disclosed the result on social media, calling it a “huge mistake” and saying he takes full responsibility for what happened.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed that Kyrgios returned a positive doping test. The sample was collected on June 22 during the ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, and on July 17 a WADA-accredited laboratory detected benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from competition since August 4. No final decision has yet been made in the case, and proceedings are ongoing.

Kyrgios apologised to his family, fans and sponsors. He said the past few years had been difficult because of persistent injuries and thoughts about his career coming to an end, but stressed that this did not excuse his actions.

The Australian also announced that he would step away from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on himself. The 28-day break is separate from his official suspension.

Nick Kyrgios’ original statement published on social media

Kyrgios has played only sporadically in recent years because of injuries and is currently ranked No. 919 in the ATP rankings. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 13, won seven ATP singles titles and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022. That same year, he won the Australian Open men’s doubles title.