Nick Kyrgios is set to resume his professional tennis career after completing a one-month ban following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. The 31-year-old Australian was provisionally suspended on August 4 after a sample collected during the Mallorca Open in June returned the positive result. His suspension officially concluded on Thursday, September 3.
During the investigation conducted by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), Kyrgios admitted to using the substance at a nightclub in Magaluf during the early hours of June 20. Although the tournament’s singles draw officially commenced on June 21, the player did not compete in his first-round match until the following day. The ITIA, after consulting with an independent expert, accepted that the consumption occurred outside of competition, though it fell within a timeframe that triggered the sanction.
While the violation could have resulted in a three-month suspension, the penalty was reduced to one month because Kyrgios enrolled in a treatment program, providing documentation that he began the process on August 28. As part of the disciplinary outcome, the former world number 13 will forfeit 6,570 euros (£5,650) in prize money. Currently ranked 918th globally, he is now free to return to the court immediately.
The past few years have been challenging for the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, who has struggled with persistent knee and wrist injuries. Since the start of 2023, he has managed to play only eight matches, winning two. His most recent appearance was in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon alongside partner Alexander Bublik, where they were eliminated in the opening round. Kyrgios has previously spoken openly about the mental and physical toll of these recurring injuries, noting that his body has struggled to keep pace with his professional expectations.
Beyond his injury struggles, Kyrgios has frequently been a polarizing figure in the sport. His career has been marked by significant fines for on-court conduct, including racquet abuse and verbal altercations with officials. In 2023, he avoided a criminal conviction after admitting to assaulting an ex-girlfriend two years prior. He has also faced criticism for past comments deemed misogynistic and for sharing content from influencer Andrew Tate, though he later stated he made efforts to distance himself from those views.
Kyrgios has also been vocal regarding the integrity of the sport, recently criticizing the handling of anti-doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, which he labeled as “disgusting.” His own disciplinary situation has drawn comparisons to those cases, with his ban matching the length of Swiatek’s but remaining two months shorter than Sinner’s. Throughout his career, Kyrgios has been candid about his mental health, including a period spent in a London psychiatric hospital following a loss at Wimbledon in 2019, where he admitted to contemplating suicide.
Following the announcement of his positive test, Kyrgios expressed a need to step away from public life and social media for 28 days to “focus on getting myself right.” Having reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 and secured the Australian Open men’s doubles title the same year, the 31-year-old now faces the task of rebuilding his ranking and fitness after a difficult period both on and off the court. The report also notes that kyrgios, who has fallen to 918 in the world rankings, will also lose his prize money of 6,570 euros (£5,650). The report also notes that my body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do,” he wrote in a lengthy statement on Instagram. The report also notes that coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. The report also notes that making audible obscenities and arguing with the umpire, his behaviour on court has been widely criticised and he has been given numerous large fines for smashing racquets. The report also notes that in 2024 he shared a post from controversial influencer Andrew Tate. The report also notes that he later said he had gone “to all lengths” to distance himself from the self-proclaimed misogynist. The report also notes that losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic, kyrgios has won seven ATP Tour singles titles and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022.
