Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis after testing positive for cocaine.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency, ITIA, announced the suspension on Wednesday. The agency said a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory detected a cocaine metabolite in Kyrgios’ sample.
Kyrgios provided the sample on June 22, 2026, during an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain.
The WADA-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine on July 17. Benzoylecgonine is a metabolite of cocaine.
The ITIA said Kyrgios’ provisional suspension began on August 4. The agency also confirmed that cocaine falls under the stimulant and substance-of-abuse categories on the WADA Prohibited List.
Cocaine remains prohibited during competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
The 31-year-old Australian acknowledged the positive test in a public statement.
Kyrgios described the incident as a “huge mistake” and accepted responsibility for his actions. He also apologised to his fans, family, sponsors and young people who follow his career.
The former Wimbledon finalist said recent injuries had taken a heavy physical and emotional toll on him.
Kyrgios has struggled with injuries in recent years. He has undergone wrist reconstruction and knee surgery and has played only a limited number of matches since 2023.
The Australian player has the right to challenge the provisional suspension.
However, the ITIA said he had not appealed the suspension as of August 19.
The agency also confirmed that Kyrgios cannot play, coach or attend events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, the ATP, WTA, Grand Slam tournaments or national tennis associations while the suspension remains in place.
Following the positive test, Kyrgios said he would take a break from social media and public life.
He announced plans to spend 28 days away from public attention while focusing on his personal recovery.
The Australian has reached a career-high ranking of world No. 13. He also reached the Wimbledon final in 2022.
His recent injuries, however, have severely limited his time on the court. His most recent appearance came at Wimbledon in 2026, where he competed in the doubles event with Alexander Bublik.
Kyrgios’ current status is a provisional suspension, not a final determination of the length of any potential ban.
The ITIA said the mandatory provisional suspension followed the positive test involving benzoylecgonine. The agency’s anti-doping rules provide for provisional suspensions following certain adverse analytical findings.
Further proceedings will determine the outcome of the case.
