Nick Kyrgios is free to return to tennis after serving a one‑month ban for testing positive for cocaine – the latest twist in one of the sport’s most turbulent modern careers.
The 31-year-old Australian was provisionally suspended on 4 August when a sample taken during the Mallorca Open in June was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite. He told investigators from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) he had used the drug at a nightclub in Magaluf in the early hours of 20 June.
Two days later, he stepped on court in Mallorca for his first-round match and lost in straight sets to compatriot Adam Walton.
Ban cut after treatment move
The ITIA, after consulting an independent expert, accepted Kyrgios’ explanation that the cocaine use took place out of competition. Under the rules, he could have faced a three‑month suspension, but that was reduced to one month after he agreed to enter a treatment programme.
The ban officially ended on Thursday, 3 September. His punishment also strips him of €6,570 (£5,650) in prize money from the event.
When the positive test became public, Kyrgios announced he would disappear from social media and public life for 28 days, saying he wanted to “focus on getting myself right”.
A body breaking down, a career winding down
On the court, his ranking tells its own story. Once world number 13 and a Wimbledon finalist, Kyrgios has slipped to 918 in the world. He has managed just four singles matches this season, his progress wrecked by persistent knee and wrist injuries over recent years.
His last appearance came not in singles but in men’s doubles at Wimbledon, partnering Alexander Bublik. They went out in the first round.
After his initial suspension was confirmed, Kyrgios spoke openly about the toll of the past few seasons, describing the impact as “huge… both mentally and physically”. He wrote that his body “hasn't been able to do what my mind expects it to do” and admitted that coming to terms with being “near the end of my career” had been far harder than he ever imagined.
“None of that excuses what I did,” he added.
A career of brilliance and chaos
Cocaine is listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a stimulant and substance of abuse. For Kyrgios, it is another mark on a record already crowded with controversy.
He has long been one of tennis’ most combustible figures, capable of dismantling the very best on his day and dismantling his own chances on others. His behaviour has drawn heavy criticism: smashed racquets, tirades at umpires, audible obscenities and a stack of hefty fines have followed him across the tour.
His issues have not been confined to the court. In 2023, he admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend two years earlier, avoiding a criminal conviction but deepening scrutiny of his conduct. He has also been widely condemned for comments considered misogynistic.
This year, he shared a post from Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer and self‑proclaimed misogynist, before later insisting he had gone “to all lengths” to distance himself from him.
Kyrgios has also turned his fire on the sport’s authorities, labelling the handling of two prominent anti‑doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek as “disgusting” for tennis.
What comes next?
For all the chaos, the tennis résumé remains impressive. Kyrgios owns seven ATP Tour singles titles and, at his peak, was one of the most dangerous unseeded players in any draw. In 2022 he reached the Wimbledon final, taking a set off Novak Djokovic before losing in four. That same year he teamed up with close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title, igniting Rod Laver Arena with a home‑grown run.
Now he stands at another crossroads. Eligible to play again, but ranked outside the top 900, carrying injuries, a recent ban, and the weight of his own admission that the end of his career is looming.
The question is no longer whether Nick Kyrgios can light up tennis. It is whether he has the will – and the time – to do it again.
