Kyrgios tests positive to cocaine, faces lengthy ban from tennis

Controversial Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has taken full responsibility for making a “huge mistake” after testing positive for banned substance cocaine.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Wednesday night (AEST) that it had provisionally suspended Kyrgios under the tennis anti-doping program. He has so far not appealed the decision.

The 31-year-old provided a sample during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22 before a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, on July 17.

In a statement posted to his Instagram story on Wednesday, Kyrgios apologised for his actions and said he would take a break from social media and public life to “focus on getting myself right”.

“I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” Kyrgios posted.

“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.

“I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. 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.

“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.

“However, the good news is that this has given me a wake-up call. 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.”

Retired British player Dan Evans received a one-year ban in 2017 after testing positive to cocaine.

Evans avoided the maximum four-year sanction because the International Tennis Federation said at the time that cocaine was not performance enhancing and the drug was taken out of competition.