31-year-old tennis star Nick Kyrgios is back in the news, and once again it isn’t for something good. Tests at an ATP Tour event in Mallorca, Spain revealed cocaine in his system, and the tour provisionally suspended him
The International Tennis Integrity Agency suspended Kyrgios after he tested positive for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine. A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory verified the presence of the prohibited drug on July 17. He has been suspended since August 4, but only revealed on Wednesday that he failed the test.
“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” Nick Kyrgios wrote on social media. “I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.
“I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
In the same social media post, Kyrgios said, “I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.”
Nick Kyrgios has been struggling with his career nearing an end
He also said that his injuries and the fact that his professional tennis career is nearing an end contributed to his poor decision-making. Kyrgios, once ranked as high as 13th, has fallen to 919th in 2026.
“I’ve always said I don’t choose tennis — tennis chose me,” Krygios wrote. “But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did.”
The suspension prohibits Kyrgios from participating in, coaching at, or attending any World Tennis, WTA, ATP, Grand Slam, or national association tournaments. His suspension could last anywhere from three months to four years.
He stated that he will take a 28-day break from social media and public life. Kyrgios has not challenged the suspension.
“The good news is that this has given me a wake up call,” he said. “For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right. I’d ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family. I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better.”