Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios announced on Wednesday that he had tested positive for cocaine and was temporarily suspended from tennis. The 31-year-old Australian, who was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the singles final of the 2022 tournament, has participated in only two Grand Slam events following the championship. Due to a series of injuries, his current ranking has dropped to 919th.
Kyrgios took to social media to disclose the details of his situation, admitting, “I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.” He acknowledged his error and accepted full responsibility for it, specifically mentioning an incident at a lower-tier tournament in June.
Competitively, cocaine is prohibited as a doping substance, with varying penalties based on whether it is used during or outside of competitions. Kyrgios, who has openly discussed his mental health struggles in the past, exacerbated by alcohol and drug misuse, expressed the challenges of confronting the potential conclusion of his professional tennis career after enduring a two-year period of injuries.
The player received a wild card to participate in the Wimbledon doubles event last month but was eliminated in the initial round alongside partner Alexander Bublik. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) will oversee the case, noting that Kyrgios’ sample was collected on June 22 and the positive result was confirmed on July 17, subsequent to his participation at Wimbledon.
A mandatory provisional suspension was enforced on August 4, which Kyrgios has not contested, as confirmed by the ITIA.