Australian Nick Kyrgios has suffered another blow to his career, after the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced his provisional suspension following a positive doping test for cocaine.
Kyrgios, 31, underwent testing during his participation in the Mallorca tournament on June 22, before a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in the sample.
According to the agency, cocaine is listed among the prohibited substances during competitions, therefore the temporary suspension became mandatory and came into effect on August 4.
The Australian player has the right to appeal the decision, but he has not yet filed an appeal.
Kyrgios himself announced the incident, confirming that he had made a "grave mistake" and took full responsibility. He also apologized to his fans, family, sponsors, and especially to the children who follow him.
The Australian star explained that the last few years have been tough on him due to repeated injuries and their impact on his mental state, noting that dealing with the possibility of his career nearing its end has been more difficult than he expected.
Despite insisting that these circumstances do not justify what he did, Kyrgios described the incident as a "wake-up call," announcing that he would be taking a break from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on himself, before concluding his message by affirming his desire to return in a better form.
This crisis makes it more difficult for Kyrgios to play on the field, after his competitive appearances in 2026 were limited to only four matches, during which he achieved one victory, while his last match was in Mallorca against his compatriot Adam Walton.
Kyrgios' sporting future remains uncertain, as no final penalty has yet been issued against him, while he still has the option of appealing the temporary suspension.
