A Positive Test and a Reduced Penalty
Nick Kyrgios is free to return to professional tennis after serving a one-month ban linked to a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, taken during the Mallorca Open in June. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) provisionally suspended the 31-year-old Australian on 4 August, with his ban officially concluding on 3 September. Cocaine is classified as a prohibited stimulant and substance of abuse under World Anti-Doping Agency rules when detected in competition samples.
Kyrgios told ITIA investigators that he used cocaine socially at a nightclub in Magaluf during the early hours of 20 June, two days before he lost in straight sets to fellow Australian Adam Walton in the first round of the Mallorca tournament. An independent expert confirmed that the levels found in his sample were consistent with that account, leading the ITIA to accept the use occurred outside of competition. While a maximum three-month suspension was possible under standard rules, Kyrgios enrolled in a WADA-approved treatment programme, which reduced the penalty to one month. He will also forfeit prize money of approximately 6,570 euros from the Mallorca event.
Difficult Years and a Rocky Road Back
The former world number 13, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, has played only four singles matches this entire season after battling knee and wrist injuries. His most recent appearance came in men's doubles at Wimbledon alongside Alexander Bublik, where the pair fell in the first round. Following the initial suspension announcement, Kyrgios acknowledged that his physical struggles had taken a serious toll on him mentally and physically, while stressing that nothing excused his actions.
TennisDraw users tracking Kyrgios's comeback prospects will now be watching closely to see where he lines up next on the tour.