Nick Kyrgios has admitted to testing positive for cocaine, describing the incident as a "wake-up call" after feeling "helpless and alone." The former Wimbledon finalist disclosed the positive test in a statement on his Instagram Story on Wednesday.
Kyrgios received a provisional suspension on August 4 after failing a drug test conducted on June 22 during a lower-tier grass court event in Mallorca, Spain. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) stated that the 31-year-old Australian could face a ban ranging from three months to four years, with a potentially lower sanction if the drug use is found to have occurred outside of competition.
The ITIA also noted that Kyrgios has the right to appeal the provisional suspension, though he has not yet done so.
"I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine," Kyrgios wrote. "I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. 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."
Kyrgios, who once held a career-high ranking of No. 13, is currently ranked 919th. His most successful year was 2022, when he won the Australian Open men's doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis and reached the Wimbledon singles final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Since then, injuries have significantly impacted his career.
"I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been," Kyrgios explained. "The last couple of years of injuries have taken 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 added, "I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis — tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did."
Following his Wimbledon final appearance in 2022, Kyrgios secured his seventh singles title by defeating Yoshihito Nishioka at the DC Open. He also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open that year, losing to Karen Khachanov.
A knee injury in October 2022 limited his play to a single match over the subsequent two years, and a wrist injury caused him to miss Wimbledon in 2023. A notable match after these setbacks was his "Battle of the Sexes" win over Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai in December 2025.
This season, Kyrgios has a 1-3 singles record. He participated in doubles at Wimbledon in July, receiving a wild card with partner Alexander Bublik, but they were eliminated in the first round.
It was confirmed on July 17, after the grass court tournament, that Kyrgios had tested positive.
"The good news is that this has given me a wake up call," he stated. "For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right. I’d ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family. I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better."