Kyrgios Suspended For One Month Over Positive Cocaine Test

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine at an ATP event in Mallorca, Spain, in June.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed that Kyrgios provided a sample on June 22 during the ATP 250 tournament. A World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory detected benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

Kyrgios was provisionally suspended from August 4 under tennis anti-doping rules. He did not appeal the provisional suspension and has accepted the reduced sanction.

The ITIA said Kyrgios explained during an investigation that he had used cocaine socially before he was due to play in Mallorca. An independent scientific expert from a WADA-accredited laboratory concluded that the concentration found in his sample was consistent with his explanation that the substance had been taken outside competition.

Cocaine is prohibited in competition under the World Anti-Doping Agency code. For an out-of-competition violation involving a substance of abuse, the standard suspension is three months. However, the sanction can be reduced to one month when an athlete commits to an approved treatment programme.

Kyrgios entered an ITIA-approved treatment programme, allowing his suspension to be reduced. The ban ended on September 3, subject to completion of the programme, making him eligible to return to competition from September 4.

The Australian must also forfeit the prize money and ranking points he earned at the Mallorca tournament.

Kyrgios apologised after the positive test became known, describing the incident as a mistake and accepting responsibility. He also said years of injuries had taken a physical and emotional toll and that dealing with the possibility of his career nearing its end had been difficult.

The 31-year-old reached a career-high world ranking of 13 in 2016 and was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final.

Persistent injuries have severely limited his career in seasons. He has undergone major procedures, including wrist surgery, and has struggled to maintain competition.

Kyrgios has also indicated that his recent Wimbledon appearance could be his last at the tournament.

The one-month sanction brings a conclusion to the anti-doping case while the former Wimbledon finalist attempts to rebuild his career and return to tennis.