Thursday, August 20, 2026 - Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended after failing a doping test, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has announced.
The Australian player gave a sample at an ATP tournament in
Majorca in June that tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of
coc@ine.
Kyrgios apologized to his friends and family in a lengthy
statement on his Instagram Stories, where he took full responsibility for what
he called a “huge mistake.”
“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,” he said, adding he would be
stepping away from social media and public life for the next 28 days.
The ITIA confirmed the former world No. 13 had the right to
appeal but said he had not yet done so.
“Coc@ine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA
Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping
Programme. If taken out of competition, reduced sanctions apply for substances
of abuse,” the ITIA said in a statement.
“Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional
suspension is mandatory and has been in place since 4 August 2026.”
The Australian is one of the most well-known names in the
sport and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022.
Kyrgios is currently ranked 919th in the world. He was given
a wild card to play doubles at Wimbledon last month and lost in the first round
with partner Alexander Bublik.
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