Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a bodily remnant of cocaine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Wednesday.
Kyrgios, 31, provided a sample during an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22, according to an ITIA statement.
A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory confirmed on July 17 that the sample contained benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, meaning a molecule resulting from cocaine being metabolized by the body.
Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and substance of abuse on WADA’s Prohibited List and is banned during competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program. Reduced sanctions can apply when its use is determined to have occurred outside competition.
The ITIA said a provisional suspension was mandatory because of the nature of the substance and had been in effect since Aug. 4.
Kyrgios has the right to appeal the suspension but had not done so as of Wednesday, the agency added.
While suspended, he is prohibited from playing, coaching at or attending events organized or sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, Grand Slam tournaments, World Tennis, or national tennis associations.
“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” Kyrgios said in a statement posted on US social media platform Instagram.
He apologized to his fans, family, sponsors, and young people who follow him, saying he was “deeply disappointed” in himself.
Kyrgios said years of injuries had taken a physical and mental toll and that coming to terms with nearing the end of his career had been difficult, though he stressed that this did not excuse his actions.
He described the positive test as a “wake-up call” and said he would step away from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on his recovery.
Kyrgios reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 13 in October 2016 and advanced to the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
Injuries to his knee and wrist have severely restricted his appearances in recent seasons. He played only four singles matches this year and most recently competed in the Wimbledon men’s doubles event alongside Alexander Bublik, with the pair losing in the opening round.