TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from tennis after failing a doping test, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old Australian gave a sample at an ATP tournament in Mallorca in June that tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, the ITIA said.
Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and is banned in competition.
A WADA lab confirmed the presence of the banned stimulant in Kyrgios' sample on July 17, and a provisional suspension has been in place since August 4, the ITIA said.
"While suspended Kyrgios is not allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organiZed or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association," the agency added.
Kyrgios apologizes to fans
Kyrgios apologized to his fans in a statement on social media, saying he took "full responsibility."
"I made a huge mistake," he said. "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."
Known for his big serve, Kyrgios has won seven singles titles on the ATP tour and reached a high of 13 in the world in 2016.
His best performance was perhaps at the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Physical and mental toll of injuries
Since then, he has been plagued by multiple injuries and hasn't been able to return to form. He is currently ranked number 919 in the world.
In his statement on Wednesday, Kyrgios said that his injuries took "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," he said.
The Australian has not appealed the provisional suspension and said he would step away from social media and public life for 28 days to "focus on getting myself right."
"I'm sorry, I'll do the work and come back better," he said.
