Nick Kyrgios, the controversial Australian tennis player, stated that he made a “huge mistake” after testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a provisional suspension. The former Wimbledon finalist submitted a sample during the Mallorca Open on June 22, which was later identified as containing benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Since August 4, Kyrgios has been under provisional suspension, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency indicating that the 31-year-old athlete could appeal the decision, but he has not done so thus far.
Kyrgios, who is barred from training or attending Grand Slams and any ATP or WTA events while awaiting the outcome of a tribunal, took “full responsibility” for his actions in a social media post. However, he mentioned that his knee and wrist injuries had a significant impact on his physical and mental health. The former world number 13 announced that he would be stepping away from social media and public life for the next 28 days to “focus on recovering.”
Reflecting on his career, it is impossible to ignore the numerous controversies that have marked Kyrgios's journey. One of the most memorable occurred in 2015 when, during a match at the Canadian Open, the player provoked Stan Wawrinka with comments about the Swiss player's personal life. Kyrgios said, “Kokkinakis slept with your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.” After the match, Wawrinka expressed his outrage, asking the ATP to take “severe action” against Kyrgios. The Australian was ultimately fined $10,000 and received a 28-day suspension, which was later suspended.
Another controversial situation occurred in 2019 when Kyrgios was disqualified from the Italian Open during a match against Casper Ruud. After being penalized for swearing at a line judge, the Australian reacted explosively by throwing a chair on court. Despite apologizing on social media, he was fined 20,000 euros for unsportsmanlike conduct, in addition to losing 33,635 euros in prize money and 45 ATP points.
His reputation for indiscipline continued in 2019 at the Cincinnati Masters, where he had a heated confrontation with umpire Fergus Murphy. After being penalized with a code violation for allegedly swearing, Kyrgios left the court, breaking his rackets along the way. In the end, he was fined 113,000 dollars, one of the highest fines of his career.
In 2016, Kyrgios received an eight-week suspension and a 25,000 dollar fine due to his behavior at the Shanghai Masters, where he was accused of not trying during a match. Following a settlement with the ATP that involved consultations with a sports psychologist, his suspension was reduced to three weeks.
More recently, in February 2023, Kyrgios admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari, but avoided a criminal conviction. During an incident in January 2021, the court classified the assault as a “one-off act of stupidity or frustration.” After the trial, Kyrgios expressed his regret, stating: “I wasn't in a good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way that I deeply regret.”
Now, with his provisional suspension, Kyrgios's career faces another tumultuous chapter, raising questions about his future in tennis and his ability to restore his public image.
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