Kyrgios Reveals Cocaine Positive, Calls It Wake-Up Call
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- Kyrgios disclosed on Instagram he failed a drug test for cocaine at a lower-tier grass-court event in Mallorca in June, writing that he 'made a huge mistake and take[s] full responsibility for it.'
- The 31-year-old Australian has played just 10 ATP Tour singles matches — winning two — since his 2022 peak, when he reached the Wimbledon final and lost to Novak Djokovic; he now sits ranked 919th.
- The ITIA confirmed the sample was taken June 22, the positive result confirmed July 17 (after Wimbledon), and a mandatory provisional suspension applied Aug. 4 that Kyrgios did not appeal.
- Kyrgios faces a possible four-year ban, though the source notes a lighter sanction 'can be expected' given cocaine carries lower penalties out of competition — a precedent set by Dan Evans' one-year ITIA ban in 2017 after a positive test at the Barcelona Open.
- Citing two years of injuries and feeling 'helpless and alone,' Kyrgios called the incident a 'wake up call' and announced a 28-day break from social media to 'focus on getting myself right.'
Why it matters: This doping case puts Kyrgios' already-stalled career in jeopardy at age 31 — he has played just one match in two years and sits ranked 919th. The source notes a lighter sanction 'can be expected' given the Dan Evans precedent (one-year ITIA ban in 2017 for the same substance at the Barcelona Open), versus the four-year maximum — though any meaningful ban effectively closes the book on his singles career.
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