Nick Kyrgios has served a one-month suspension after a cocaine test came back positive at the Mallorca Championships in June, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Australian, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, had been under provisional suspension since 4 August.
His ban was initially set at three months under World Anti-Doping Agency regulations. However, the ITIA reduced the sanction after Kyrgios agreed to participate in an approved treatment programme.
The suspension is due to expire on Thursday, provided he completes the programme in full.
His sample at the Spanish grass-court tournament tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
All prize money and ranking points earned at the Mallorca event have been stripped.
During interviews with ITIA investigators, Kyrgios explained that he had consumed the substance recreationally on a night out before he was scheduled to compete at the Mallorca event.
The agency subsequently sought the opinion of an independent scientific expert based at a WADA-accredited laboratory.
That expert determined that the concentration of cocaine detected in Kyrgios's sample was consistent with his account of social use outside of competition.
On the basis of this assessment, the ITIA accepted that the Australian's ingestion of the banned substance had not occurred in a competitive context.
This distinction proved crucial. Had authorities concluded that Kyrgios had taken cocaine in competition, he would have faced a potential ban of up to four years — a far graver consequence for his already fragile career.
Kyrgios issued a public apology last month when the failed test first came to light. "I have made a huge mistake and take full responsibility for it," he wrote on Instagram.
He went on to address those closest to him directly: "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."
The Australian also offered a window into his state of mind, citing the physical and psychological burden of persistent injuries. "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.
The case carries a certain irony, given Kyrgios's previous vocal criticism of reduced sanctions handed to Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek over their own doping cases. He branded the leniency shown to the five-time and six-time Grand Slam champions respectively as "disgusting" for the sport, after both had positive tests attributed to contamination.
His punishment is notably lighter than that received by Britain's Dan Evans, who was banned for a year in 2017 following his own positive cocaine test. WADA subsequently revised its rules in 2021, shortening penalties for recreational drug use considerably.
Kyrgios's playing career has all but wound down regardless. He has managed just four matches this season and holds a world ranking of 918, with next year's Australian Open mooted as a potential farewell.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
from GB News https://ift.tt/jkEMb1I
via IFTTT
Thank you for your message!