Australian tennis player, Nick Kyrgios has admitted that he has made a "huge mistake", after being provisionally suspended for failing a doping test, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
The former Wimbledon finalist was handed down this suspension after previously giving a sample at an ATP tournament in Majorca in June. This saw him test positive for benzoylecgonine, which is a metabolite for cocaine.
WADA rules state that cocaine is ruled as a stimulant, an abusive substance, and prohibited from use in competition.
Kyrgios has been banned from playing and attending tennis matches pending the outcome of a tribunal which will assess his case. He has been provisionally suspended since August 4.
Acknowledging the findings, posting this message on his Instagram account.
"I wanted you to hear this from me first", he wrote. "I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it".
The former Wimbledon finalist has been plagued by several injuries over the last four years, which has meant he has only played in the main draw of a Grand Slam twice since his run to the Wimbledon final in 2022. This season has seen Kyrgios only play four matches, and he also wrote that he has felt "helpless and alone" amid his injury battles.
He is currently ranked 919th in the world, and was also given a wild card to play doubles at Wimbledon last month, which saw him lose in the first round with partner Alexander Bublik.
"I'm not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I've been," he wrote on his Instagram stories. "The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.
"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... letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I've ever had to face", he added. "At times I've felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did".
