Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended after he tested positive for cocaine.
On July 22, a drug test found that a sample taken from Kyrgios at an ATP 250 event in Mallorca a few weeks earlier contained traces of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine molecule.
Cocaine, a stimulant drug, is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
Kyrgios has been suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) since August 4. The organisation said he has the right to appeal his suspension but “has not done so to date”.
In a statement on Instagram, Kyrgios said: “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.
“I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
The tennis star said injuries had taken a “huge toll” on him “both physically and mentally”. Over the past couple of years, he has suffered from torn ligaments in his wrist and also injured his knee.
Nick Kyrgios reacts as he announces his withdrawal from the Australian Open, January 2023. Credit: AP
He said: “My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than ever imagined.
“Letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did.”
Kyrgios announced he will be stepping away from social media and public life for 28 days to “focus on getting myself right”.
The 31-year-old became a professional tennis player in 2013 and was ranked number 13 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 2016.
He won the men’s singles at the 2022 Washington Open and competed in the 2022 Wimbledon final.
He is one of a rare few who have beaten the top three tennis champions – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal – the first time he played against them.
Kyrgios has been suspended and fined thousands in the past for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Credit: AP
This is not the first time Kyrgios has faced scrutiny. In 2019, he was suspended for 16 weeks and fined $25,000 (£18,431) by ATP following five incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters tournament.
At the Italian Open, he stormed off court, threw his racket on the floor, kicked a bottle, and tossed a chair.
The ITIA said that while suspended, Kyrgios will not be allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.
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