Nick Kyrgios suspended after positive cocaine test: ‘I’m deeply disappointed in myself’
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after one of his samples came back positive for cocaine, the agency announced Wednesday.
Kyrgios tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in a sample he provided at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22. Cocaine is among the drugs banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). His suspension has been in place since Aug. 4.
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Kyrgios, 31, confirmed the suspension in a message on Instagram, saying he made “a huge mistake.”
A portion of that message read:
“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.”
In his statement, Kyrgios said he didn’t want to make excuses for his behavior, but noted that coming to terms with the possible end of his career has been difficult. He said injuries have prevented his body from doing “what my mind expects it to do.”
He said the positive test has given him a wake-up call, and that he will spend the next month off social media while “getting myself right.”
In the ITIA statement, it noted that Kyrgios has the ability to appeal the suspension, but has not done so yet. While suspended, Kyrgios is unable to play in or coach “any events organized or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.”
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Kyrgios peaked at No. 13 on the ATP rankings back in 2016. While he showed promise early in his career, he seemed to hit his stride in 2022, when he reached the finals at Wimbledon. There, Kyrgios lost to Novak Djokovic. He appeared undeterred by that loss, reaching the quarterfinals in his next Grand Slam.
But injuries struck at the end of the year. Since then, Kyrgios has battled various ailments during his recovery. Since the 2022 U.S. Open, Kyrgios has appeared in just one Grand Slam, the 2025 Australian Open, where he fell in the first round.
Due to his inactivity as a result of injuries, Kyrgios ranked 899th at the time of his suspension.