Former Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios announced on Wednesday that he had tested positive for cocaine and was temporarily banned from playing tennis. The 31-year-old Australian, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2022 singles final, has only participated in two Grand Slam tournaments since then. Due to a series of injuries, his current ranking is 919th.
Kyrgios took to social media to share the details of his drug test failure in Mallorca, where he tested positive for cocaine during a lower-tier tournament in June. Admitting his mistake, he expressed full accountability, stating, “I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.”
Cocaine is prohibited as a performance-enhancing substance in competitive sports, with varying consequences based on whether it was used during or outside of official events. Kyrgios, who has openly discussed his mental health struggles worsened by substance abuse, acknowledged the challenges of facing the potential end of his tennis career following a prolonged period of injuries.
Despite receiving a wild card to compete in the Wimbledon doubles event alongside Alexander Bublik last month, Kyrgios and his partner were eliminated in the opening round. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) will oversee the case, noting that Kyrgios’s sample was collected on June 22 and the positive result was confirmed on July 17, post his Wimbledon appearance.
Following the provisional suspension imposed on August 4, Kyrgios has not contested the ruling, according to the ITIA.