Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from playing and coaching after testing positive for cocaine, admitting he made a “huge mistake” and apologising to his young fans.
The 31-year-old revealed the news in a statement on social media after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed he had been suspended from competing and coaching since August 4.
Kyrgios provided a urine sample on June 22 while competing at an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain. A World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory subsequently detected benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in the sample on July 17.
Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and a substance of abuse under the WADA prohibited list and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
Under the rules, Kyrgios was handed a mandatory provisional suspension while his case is considered. He has the right to appeal the suspension but has not done so.
Kyrgios addressed the failed test in a candid statement to his followers, accepting responsibility for his actions.
“I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” he wrote. “I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.”
He apologised to his fans, family, sponsors and those close to him, reserving a particularly heartfelt message for younger supporters.
“Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
The Canberra-born star also pointed to the difficult period he has endured as injuries increasingly disrupted a career that once took him to the brink of a Grand Slam title.
Kyrgios has struggled with serious knee and wrist problems in recent years, playing only a handful of tour-level singles matches in 2026. His injuries have left him facing the prospect that his professional career may be nearing its end.
He said the physical and mental toll of those setbacks had left him struggling, while making clear he was not using them to excuse the positive test.
Kyrgios described the suspension as a wake-up call and said he would step away from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on himself and his recovery.
The suspension marks another dramatic turn in the career of one of Australian tennis’s most gifted and polarising players.
Kyrgios reached a career-high singles ranking of world No.13 and enjoyed his greatest Grand Slam singles result when he reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, losing to Novak Djokovic. He also won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
His latest troubles come after years of injury setbacks that have severely limited his appearances on tour.
The length of any final sanction has yet to be determined. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the positive test, Kyrgios could face anything from a relatively short suspension to a significantly longer ban.
For now, however, the Australian is unable to compete, coach or take part in sanctioned professional tennis events while the anti-doping process continues.
Image: Instagram
