Kyrgios gets just one-month ban over cocaine use

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been handed a one-month suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for cocaine. He has already served the ban, having been provisionally suspended in early August following a positive doping test taken in June.

Kyrgios told ITIA officials he had used cocaine at a nightclub on the night of 20 June. Two days later he played in the Mallorca Open, losing in straight sets. The ITIA accepted his explanation of the circumstances.

For the violation, Kyrgios could theoretically have faced a ban of up to three months, but the suspension was reduced to one month because he voluntarily joined a support programme. Since the period of his provisional suspension already exceeded one month, the ban has effectively already ended, meaning Kyrgios could in theory return to competition immediately. He will also forfeit the €6,570 prize money he earned at the Mallorca Open.

Past criticism of other cases

The case is notable because Kyrgios had previously been openly critical of tennis authorities for what he called overly lenient treatment of doping violations. He had sharply criticised how the ITIA handled the high-profile cases of Iga Świątek and Jannik Sinner, both of whom tested positive for banned substances. At the time, Kyrgios argued such scandals were damaging to the sport and that both players received punishments that were too light — Świątek was given a one-month ban, while Sinner received two months.

Kyrgios was once ranked among the world's top 20 players and drew attention both for his playing style and for his combative on-court behaviour and outspoken public comments. In recent years he has struggled with injuries and currently sits at number 918 in the world rankings.