“I made an enormous mistake,” mentioned Nick Kyrgios after testing constructive for cocaine.
Richard PagliaroAugust 19, 20264 minute learn
By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Picture credit score: Adelaide Worldwide Fb
Nick Kyrgios has been a caustic critic of gamers who fail drug assessments.
Now, Kyrgios is one in every of them.
The Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company introduced Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended since August 4th after testing constructive for cocaine on the ATP grass-court event in Mallorca. Kyrgios submitted a urine pattern on June twenty second. On July seventeenth, a World Anti-Doping Company (WADA)-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
“Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited Checklist and is banned in competitors beneath the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme,” the ITIA mentioned in a press release. “If taken out of competitors, diminished sanctions apply for substances of abuse.
“Due to the character of the substance, a provisional suspension is obligatory and has been in place since August 4, 2026.”
Learn the ITIA’s full statement on Kyrgios’ case here.
The mercurial Kyrgios shared he examined constructive for cocaine following a failed drug take a look at in Spain in a social media publish.
“I needed you to listen to this from me first. I just lately failed a drug take a look at in Mallorca after testing constructive for cocaine,” Kyrgios mentioned in a press release posted to his Instagram web page.
“I made an enormous mistake and I take full duty for it.”
Although the 31-year-old Kyrgios had a repute as a partyer in his youthful years, he was recognized for frequenting bars and being a drinker.
The Good Bother podcast host mentioned he discovered bother with cocaine after struggling a slew of accidents that “have taken an enormous toll on me, each bodily and mentally.”
In a press release to Instagram Tales, Kyrgios apologized to his household, mates and followers.
“Above all, I’m sorry to the youngsters who comply with me. I do know the instance this units and I’m deeply dissatisfied in myself,” Kyrgios in his publish. “I’m not going to make excuses, however I do need to give some context about the place I’ve been.
“The final couple of years of accidents have taken an enormous toll on me, each bodily and mentally.
“My physique hasn’t been capable of do what my thoughts expects it to do, and coming to phrases with being close to the top of my profession has been tougher than I ever imagined.
“I’ve all the time mentioned I didn’t select tennis – tennis selected me. However letting go of one thing that has been my entire life is likely one of the hardest issues I’ve ever needed to face. At occasions I’ve felt helpless and alone.”
Former world No. 13 Kyrgios has acquired blended response on social media with some followers exhibiting assist, whereas others blasted Kyrgios as the final word hypocrite.
Kyrgios repeatedly ripped world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who claimed inadvertent contamination when he examined constructive for the banned substance clostebol. Sinner later served a three-month suspension to settle WADA’s enchantment of his case. Kyrgios was a harsh critic of Novak Djokovic throughout the COVID-19 period although the pair later settled their variations after squaring off within the 2022 Wimbledon last and have maintained a pleasant relationship.
The explosive Kyrgios just isn’t the primary high-profile participant to check constructive for cocaine.
Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis was hit with a two-year ban in 2008 after testing constructive for cocaine on the 2007 Wimbledon. Hingis denied ever knowingly taking cocaine, nonetheless her ban was strictly implement and he or she was not even permitted to play World TeamTennis throughout the two-year suspension.
Daniel Evans examined constructive for cocaine in 2017 and served a one-year suspension. Evans, who referred to as his ban a wake-up name, returned to the Tour and performed a few of his greatest tennis finally rising to British No. 1.
In 2009, Frenchman Richard Gasquet examined constructive for cocaine on the Miami Open and was hit with a one-year ban. Gasquet appealed, efficiently arguing he was unintentionally contaminated kissing a lady named Pamela at a Miami nightclub who had cocaine on her lips.
Finally, Gasquet was reinstated after a number of months.
“The participant has been exonerated from any fault or negligence,” the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) mentioned in Gasquet’s 2009 case after rejecting a joint enchantment from the Worldwide Tennis Federation (IFT) and World Anti-Doping Company (WADA), calling for a one to two-year ban.
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