Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from the sport after testing positive for cocaine, with the former Wimbledon finalist admitting he made a “huge mistake.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that Kyrgios, 31, tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in a sample collected during an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca in June.
The positive result was later confirmed by a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory on July 17.
Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis since Aug. 4 while the case moves forward.
The Australian star addressed the stunning development Wednesday in a statement posted to Instagram.
“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” Kyrgios said.
The outspoken player also apologized and opened up about the toll recent injuries have taken on him 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.
Kyrgios added that he has sometimes felt “helpless and alone” while dealing with those struggles.
He said he now plans to step away from social media and public life for 28 days in order to focus on himself.
“I’ll do the work and come back better,” Kyrgios said, while asking fans and the public for privacy.
Kyrgios has long been one of the most recognizable and controversial players in men’s tennis.
He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 13 in 2016 and made the biggest Grand Slam run of his career in 2022, when he reached the Wimbledon final.
In recent years, however, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his career and limited his time on court.
The provisional suspension means Kyrgios is currently barred from competing while the anti-doping process continues.
No final sanction has yet been announced.
Don’t be using dope ya dope!