Tennis star Nick Kyrgios banned for cocaine use

Nick Kyrgios has failed a drugs test in Mallorca and has been banned from tennis. Photo: AAP
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has tested positive to cocaine, saying he made a āhuge mistakeā.
Kyrgios has been suspended after failing a drugs test on June 22 at an ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain.
The 31-year-old faces a ban ranging from a baseline three-month period to up to four years, if found to have used the drug in competition.
Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended since August 4.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Kyrgios, whose career world ranking peaked at No.13, could appeal against the provisional suspension but had yet to do so.
āI recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,ā Kyrgios posted on Instagram.
āI made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.
āIām sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, Iām sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and Iām deeply disappointed in myself.ā

Nick Kyrgios spoke of his struggles in an Instagram story.
Kyrgios, who has played only four official singles matches on the elite ATP Tour this year, has battled knee and wrist injuries in recent years.
āIām not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where Iāve been,ā he wrote.
āThe last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.
āMy body hasnāt 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.ā
But the polarising Canberra-born drawcard said that didnāt excuse his actions.
āIāve always said I didnāt choose tennis ā tennis chose me,ā he wrote.
āBut letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things Iāve ever had to face. At times Iāve felt helpless and alone.
āNone of that excuses what I did.ā
Kyrgios said āthe good news is that this has given me a wake-up callā.
āFor the next 28 days, Iāll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right,ā he wrote.
āIād ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family.
āIām sorry. Iāll do the work and come back better.ā
The ITIA said Kyrgios was suspended for a āpositive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite.
A World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory confirmed the positive result on July 17.
The former Wimbledon finalist is banned from playing, coaching or attending any tournaments sanctioned by the menās and womenās tennis tours worldwide and national-level events in Australia.
Kyrgios last played in the menās doubles at Wimbledon in London on July 2. He and partner Alexander Bublik lost in the first round.
-AAP








