Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist, admitted on Wednesday to testing positive for cocaine, leading to his provisional suspension from the sport. Despite reaching the singles final at Wimbledon in 2022 where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios has faced challenges with injuries and has only participated in two Grand Slam events since then, resulting in a current ranking of 919th.
Kyrgios took to social media to disclose the details of the situation, acknowledging his failure in a drug test conducted in Mallorca, which detected cocaine in his system during a lower-level tournament in June. Expressing regret, he accepted full responsibility for his actions, emphasizing the gravity of his mistake.
The usage of cocaine is strictly prohibited as a doping substance during competitive events, with varying sanctions applicable for off-competition usage. Kyrgios, who has openly discussed his mental health struggles exacerbated by alcohol and drug consumption, mentioned the emotional difficulty he has faced in coming to terms with the potential conclusion of his tennis career after enduring a series of injuries over the past two years.
Despite receiving a wild card to compete in the doubles event at Wimbledon alongside partner Alexander Bublik, Kyrgios exited in the initial round. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is set to handle the case, revealing that the player’s sample was obtained on June 22 and the positive test result was confirmed on July 17, subsequent to Kyrgios’ participation at Wimbledon.
Following a mandatory provisional suspension that was enacted on August 4, Kyrgios has not contested the decision, as confirmed by the ITIA.
