Tennis player Nick Kyrgios is currently serving a mandatory provisional suspension after testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, at a June event in Mallorca. The duration of his ban hinges on whether he can demonstrate that the substance was taken out of competition.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is overseeing the case. A ban could theoretically extend to four years, but will be capped at three months if Kyrgios can satisfy investigators that the drug was not used in competition. For the purposes of anti-doping rules, a player is considered to be 'in competition' from the start date of the tournament draw until their departure after their final match.
Kyrgios, a former world number 13, had not competed since the Australian Open in January prior to the grass court season. He was considered to be 'in competition' in Stuttgart between June 8-12 and again in Mallorca on June 21-22. The sample that revealed the presence of benzoylecgonine was taken on June 22, the same day Kyrgios was eliminated in the first round of the Mallorca tournament.
If Kyrgios, 31, can convince the ITIA that he ingested cocaine before he was considered 'in competition', the process would be expedited. An independent tribunal would not need to be convened, and if he agrees to enter a treatment program, his suspension could be as short as one month. His provisional suspension commenced on August 4, making him potentially eligible to return to play as early as September 4.