Nick Kyrgios suspended from tennis after positive cocaine test

Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis after testing positive for cocaine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed.

The 31-year-old Australian revealed the positive test himself in an Instagram post on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, before the ITIA formally confirmed his provisional suspension. He has been barred from competing since 4 August, according to DW.

The sample in question was collected on 22 June 2026, during an ATP 250 event — a lower-tier tour tournament — in Mallorca, Spain. On 17 July, a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada)-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Kyrgios's sample. Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the Wada Prohibited List and is banned in tennis.

Under ITIA regulations, a provisional suspension is mandatory for positive cocaine tests, though the athlete has the right to appeal. How long the suspension ultimately lasts will depend largely on whether the substance was taken in competition or out of competition. Wada rules stipulate a three-month ban for out-of-competition cocaine offences, which can be reduced to one month if the athlete completes an approved rehabilitation programme.

Kyrgios said he would step away from social media and public life for the next 28 days to focus on getting himself right. He pointed to his recent struggle with injuries, saying they had taken a toll on him both physically and mentally, and that he had no excuses for the positive test, as reported by the Guardian.

Kyrgios is best known for his run to the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Widely regarded as one of the most naturally talented players of his generation, his career has been punctuated by long injury absences and frequent clashes with officials, opponents and spectators.

There is a precedent within the sport. In 2017, British No 1 Dan Evans was given a 12-month ban after testing positive for cocaine during the Barcelona Open. The rules around cocaine sanctions have since shifted under Wada's revised framework, which treats out-of-competition use more leniently than in-competition use.

The distinction matters. If Kyrgios can establish that the cocaine was taken out of competition — meaning outside the window of competition days at the Mallorca event — the potential ban shortens considerably. An in-competition finding, by contrast, could carry a far stiffer penalty.

For now, Kyrgios cannot play, coach or attend any sanctioned tennis event while the provisional suspension is in place. The case will proceed through the ITIA's disciplinary process, with a final ruling and any confirmed ban length to follow.