Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist, disclosed on Wednesday that he failed a drug test for cocaine and has been provisionally suspended from the sport. Kyrgios, 31, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon singles final, has only participated in two Grand Slam tournaments since then. Currently ranked 919th due to a string of injuries, Kyrgios took to social media to share the details of the incident.
In a post, Kyrgios admitted to testing positive for cocaine during a tournament in Mallorca, stating, “I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a significant error and accept full responsibility for my actions.” Cocaine is prohibited as a performance-enhancing substance during competitions, and milder penalties may apply if it is consumed outside of events.
Kyrgios, who has openly discussed his mental health challenges worsened by alcohol and drug use, expressed struggles in accepting the potential conclusion of his tennis career following two injury-plagued years. Despite feeling isolated and overwhelmed at times, he acknowledged that his circumstances do not excuse his behavior.
Recently, Kyrgios received a wild card to participate in the Wimbledon doubles event alongside Alexander Bublik but was defeated in the initial round. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) will oversee the case, revealing that Kyrgios’ sample was collected on June 22, with the positive test confirmation on July 17, post his Wimbledon appearance.
A mandatory provisional suspension was enforced on August 4, which Kyrgios has not contested, according to the ITIA.
