Stefanos Tsitsipas said he was not surprised by Nick Kyrgios' failed drug test, revealing he had heard about the behavior that led to the sanction before the official announcement.
Kyrgios revealed in June that he had tested positive for cocaine during a tournament in Mallorca and called for context regarding his struggles with injury and career uncertainty. However, Tsitsipas offered a different perspective when asked about the ban following his first-round match at the US Open.
"I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it," Tsitsipas stated. "So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, ‘Here we go.’ I kind of expected it, to be honest."
Tsitsipas elaborated, saying he had been aware of behaviors occurring away from the tennis courts. "I'm not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I’ll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me," he added. "Again, when I saw it, I was, like, ‘Well, pretty much expected,’ to be honest. I am surprised it came so late, though."
Kyrgios was banned on August 4, and shared on social media 15 days later that he took "full responsibility" for the lapse. The ban, for which Kyrgios could face between three months and four years away from the sport, may be reduced if he can prove the substance was not used for performance enhancement.
Kyrgios, who has contended with injuries in recent years, was ranked No. 13 in the world at his career peak. He is currently ranked No. 919 and had not won a singles match since the 2025 Miami Open.
Tensions between Tsitsipas and Kyrgios have been noted previously. Following a match at Wimbledon in 2022, Tsitsipas called Kyrgios a "bully" with an "evil side," to which Kyrgios responded by saying his rival had "serious issues."