Tennis star Nick Kyrgios provisionally suspended for cocaine use

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Australian former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for cocaine.

The 31-year-old provided a sample during an event in Spain on June 22, before the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was found.

Kyrgios apologized to his friends and family in a lengthy statement on his Instagram Stories, where he took full responsibility for what he called a “huge mistake.”

“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,” he said, adding he would be stepping away from social media and public life for the next 28 days.

The ITIA confirmed the former world No. 13 had the right to appeal but said he had not yet done so.

“Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. If taken out of competition, reduced sanctions apply for substances of abuse,” the ITIA said in a statement.

“Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional suspension is mandatory and has been in place since 4 August 2026.”

The Australian is one of the most well-known names in the sport and reached the Wimbledon final in 2022.

However, despite his obvious talent, he’s long had a rocky relationship with the sport and has a track record of blowing up on court.

He has played only four singles matches this year and has slipped down to 919th in the world. He was handed a wild card to play doubles at Wimbledon this year but lost in the first round.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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