New Delhi, September 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has accepted a one-month suspension under tennis’ anti-doping rules after admitting to using cocaine outside competition.
Kyrgios, 31, tested positive for cocaine following an anti-doping test conducted at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, held from June 21 to 27. Cocaine is prohibited in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
The one-month period of ineligibility has been backdated to August 4, when Kyrgios was provisionally suspended, and concluded on September 3. His return to competition is conditional on his completing a treatment programme approved by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, the standard suspension for the violation is three months. However, the period can be reduced to one month if the player commits to an approved treatment programme.
The ITIA said Kyrgios would face an additional two-month suspension if he fails to comply with the conditions of the decision. His prize money and ranking points from the Mallorca tournament will also be forfeited.
During an interview with ITIA investigators, Kyrgios admitted that he consumed cocaine in the early hours of June 20, outside the competition period. He said he had attended a party at his hotel on the night of June 19 before travelling to a nightclub in Magaluf with people he had met there.
According to his account, he used cocaine supplied by another person at the nightclub before returning to his hotel at around 3 a.m.
The ITIA consulted an independent scientific expert at a WADA-accredited laboratory, who concluded that Kyrgios’ account was consistent with the level of cocaine detected in his sample. The agency therefore accepted that the use occurred outside competition.
The former Wimbledon finalist is now eligible to return to tennis, subject to fulfilling the conditions attached to the suspension.
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