Nick Kyrgios provisionally suspended after positive cocaine test

Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from tennis after a sample he submitted at the Mallorca Open on 22 June was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. The International Tennis Integrity Agency said the suspension has been in effect since 4 August and that Kyrgios could appeal but has not done so to date.

Former world number 13 Kyrgios has won one and lost three of his four singles matches this year and has played just four singles matches this season amid issues with knee and wrist injuries. He last appeared on the Wimbledon stage in men's doubles with Alexander Bublik, where they lost in the first round, and his sample was submitted during the Mallorca tournament in which he played singles, ultimately losing in the first round to Adam Walton.

The ITIA confirmed the provisional suspension is in place while a tribunal process is pending. The agency noted Kyrgios can appeal the provisional suspension; the organisation added that no appeal had been lodged "to date".

In a post on Instagram, Kyrgios said he made "a huge mistake" and takes "full responsibility" for it. He wrote that the last few years of injuries had taken "a huge toll on me, both mentally and physically" and added, "My body hasn't been able to do what my mind expects it to do." He also said, "Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. None of that excuses what I did."

Kyrgios said he would be stepping away from social media and public life for the next 28 days to "focus on getting myself right" and offered an apology: "I'm sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me," adding, "Above all, I'm sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I'm deeply disappointed in myself."

Cocaine is listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a stimulant and a substance of abuse, and the WADA code provides for reduced sanctions for athletes who test positive for the substance out of competition. Kyrgios' sample, however, was submitted during a tournament in which he competed in singles play.

Kyrgios has been a polarising figure in the sport, having faced numerous large fines for smashing racquets, making audible obscenities and arguing with the umpire. In 2023 he admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend two years earlier and avoided a criminal conviction; he has also been criticised for making comments regarded as misogynistic and in 2024 shared a post from influencer Andrew Tate, later saying he had gone "to all lengths" to distance himself from the self-proclaimed misogynist. He was also critical of the handling of two high-profile anti-doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, calling them "disgusting" for tennis.

Kyrgios has won seven ATP Tour singles titles and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic; he and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the Australian Open men's doubles title together in 2022. He has spoken openly about mental-health struggles, saying he "genuinely contemplated" suicide and that he spent time in a psychiatric hospital in London after losing at Wimbledon in 2019.

Under the provisional suspension Kyrgios cannot play, coach at or attend Grand Slams or any events sanctioned by the men's and women's tennis tours pending the outcome of a tribunal.