Nick Kyrgios’ attempt to revive his injury-hit tennis career has suffered another major setback after the Australian tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine at the Mallorca Open.
The 31-year-old was provisionally suspended after the positive test, meaning he cannot compete while the case against him is being resolved. Kyrgios admitted that taking the substance was a “huge mistake” and said he accepted full responsibility for his actions.
However, the former Wimbledon finalist also revealed how difficult the final stages of his career had become after years of injuries prevented him from consistently returning to his best.
“Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined,” Kyrgios said in a social media statement.
The Australian has played only eight tournaments and won two matches since the beginning of 2023 as persistent knee and wrist problems disrupted his career. His latest setback has now raised further questions over whether he will be able to make a meaningful return to the sport.
Kyrgios faces a potential ban of up to four years, although that punishment could be reduced to a maximum of three months if he can demonstrate that the cocaine was taken outside competition.
The situation is a dramatic turn for a player who once appeared destined for the biggest stages in tennis.
Kyrgios announced himself to the world as a teenager at Wimbledon in 2014 when he stunned then-world number one Rafael Nadal on Centre Court. Eight years later, he reached his only Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
At his best, Kyrgios possessed one of the most entertaining games in tennis, combining a powerful serve with exceptional touch, athleticism and unpredictable shot-making. But his career was also repeatedly affected by disciplinary problems and a reluctance to dedicate himself fully to the demands of professional tennis.
He received a suspended 28-day ban in 2015 after making lewd remarks about Stan Wawrinka’s girlfriend during a match in Montreal. A year later, he was suspended for eight weeks for his conduct at the Shanghai Masters, including a charge of failing to make his best effort. That punishment was later reduced after he agreed to consult a sports psychologist.
His struggles reached another low point in 2019 when he was defaulted from a match at the Italian Open after throwing a chair onto the court. He was later fined $113,000 for verbally abusing umpire Fergus Murphy in Cincinnati, while the ATP subsequently handed him a suspended 16-week ban over a pattern of abusive behaviour towards officials and spectators.
Kyrgios later described 2019 as the “lowest point” of his career, revealing that he had been drinking heavily, abusing drugs and pushing away people close to him. He also spoke openly about self-harm and spending time in a psychiatric hospital in London as he attempted to address his personal struggles.
His off-court controversies continued, including his admission in 2023 that he had assaulted his former girlfriend during an argument. The magistrate described the incident as a single act of “stupidity or frustration” and did not give him a criminal record.
Kyrgios has also been a vocal critic of tennis’ anti-doping system, particularly after the cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. He previously argued that the punishments handed to both players were too lenient and claimed that “fairness in tennis does not exist.”
Now, Kyrgios has stepped away from public life for 28 days, saying he wants to “do the work and come back better.”
The length of his latest absence will depend on the outcome of the disciplinary process. For a player who once insisted there was “zero chance” he would still be playing tennis in his 30s, the next few months could determine whether his career has another chapter left to write.