Nick Kyrgios Provisionally Suspended After Positive Cocaine Test

Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine at the Mallorca Open in June. BBC Sport reported that the 31-year-old Australian cannot compete while the case is unresolved because the suspension is mandatory under the sport’s anti-doping process.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pr3pGZvbzU

Kyrgios addressed the result in a social-media statement, describing his conduct as a serious mistake and accepting responsibility. According to the BBC, he also said that dealing with repeated injuries and the possibility that his career is nearing its end had taken a heavy toll. He said he planned to step away from public life for 28 days to work on himself.

The length of any sanction remains uncertain. BBC Sport reported that Kyrgios could face a ban of up to four years, but that a suspension would be capped at three months if he establishes that the drug was taken outside competition. The legal process may take months, and no final sanction has been announced.

The case arrives during an attempted comeback disrupted by serious knee and wrist problems. Kyrgios has competed in only eight tournaments and won two matches since the beginning of 2023, according to the BBC. He is currently ranked 919th in the world, leaving his future on tour unclear even before the anti-doping proceeding is completed.

Kyrgios has won seven ATP Tour singles titles and produced the deepest Grand Slam run of his career at Wimbledon in 2022. He reached the men’s singles final there before losing to Novak Djokovic. Eight years earlier, at 19, he defeated then world number one Rafael Nadal on his Centre Court debut. He also won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Whether Kyrgios plays professionally again will depend first on the outcome and timing of the case, then on his health and his own decision about continuing. BBC Sport noted that he had previously said he did not expect to play into his 30s. For now, the provisional suspension removes him from competition without resolving the potential duration of his absence.