Nick Kyrgios, the 31-year-old Australian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine. He has publicly acknowledged his mistake, stating, “I made a huge mistake” and accepting full responsibility for the violation. This suspension marks a significant moment in Kyrgios’s career, as he navigates the implications of this decision on his professional future.
The former Wimbledon finalist submitted a sample during the Mallorca Open on June 22, which was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. He has been provisionally suspended since August 4. For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right. The 31-year-old has also been dealing with recurring knee and wrist injuries and has played just four singles matches this season.
His last appearance came in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, where he lost in the first round alongside Alexander Bublik.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said the former world No. 13 could appeal against the provisional suspension “but has not done so to date”. He said: “I wanted you to hear this from me first. “I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me.
I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. “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. I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did. “However, the good news is that this has given me a wake-up call. I’d ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family. I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better.
Kyrgios, however, took to Instagram on Wednesday to apologise to his fans, family and sponsors, while refusing to make excuses for what happened.
Under the terms of his provisional suspension, Kyrgios will not be able to play, coach at or attend Grand Slam tournaments or any other tennis events that fall under the ATP and WTA tours.
