Tsitsipas says he knew of Kyrgios cocaine case before public announcement after US Open win

Stefanos Tsitsipas said Nick Kyrgios's suspension for testing positive for cocaine did not come as a surprise and that he was already aware of the matter before it was announced, comments he made after beating No. 10 seed Arthur Fils in the first round of the US Open on Monday.

Kyrgios's positive test followed a sample he provided while competing at an ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, in June, with the result confirmed on July 17 at a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory and a provisional suspension imposed on August 4. Kyrgios announced the situation on August 19 in an Instagram post, describing it as "a huge mistake." The Australian apologised in that post to supporters, family, sponsors and children who follow him.

Asked about Kyrgios on court after his win, Tsitsipas said he had learned of the case prior to the public announcement. "I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it," he said, and added: "So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, 'Here we go.' I kind of expected it, to be honest."

Tsitsipas expanded on the source of his information by referring to reports he had heard within the tour about Kyrgios's off-court conduct. "I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis courts. I will tell you that," he said, adding: "I'm not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I'll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me."

Kyrgios's Instagram message contained an explicit admission and apology. "I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine," he wrote, and followed with: "I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it." He added: "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."

Tsitsipas and Kyrgios have a fraught history dating to their 2022 Wimbledon third-round meeting, a match the source described as controversial. During that encounter Tsitsipas hit a ball into the crowd and deliberately directed another shot towards Kyrgios; Kyrgios won the match in four sets and Tsitsipas later described him as a "bully." The source also notes Kyrgios reached his only Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2022, when he lost to Novak Djokovic, and that injuries have since interrupted his career.

A positive cocaine test carries immediate procedural consequences under anti-doping rules: it results in a mandatory provisional suspension and Kyrgios could face a ban of up to four years, although the source says a lighter punishment is expected.