Nick Kyrgios says he made a “huge mistake” after testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a provisional suspension.
The former Wimbledon finalist submitted a sample during the Mallorca Open on 22 June that was later found to have benzoylecgonine – a metabolite of cocaine.
The Australian has been provisionally suspended since 4 August, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency saying the 31-year-old could appeal but has not done so.
Kyrgios – who cannot coach or attend Grand Slams or any ATP or WTA Tour events pending the outcome of a tribunal – took “full responsibility” for his actions in a social media post but said his knee and wrist injuries have taken a huge toll on him, both physically and mentally.
The former world No 13 added he would be stepping away from social media and public life for the next 28 days to “focus on getting myself right”. While he does that, here is a rundown of five other controversies from Kyrgios’ career.
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1) Nick Kyrgios trolls Stan Wawrinka
When Kyrgios was 20, he got into unsavoury scenes when playing world No 5 Stan Wawrinka at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
During their second round clash, Kyrgios was heard telling the Swiss, “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.”
Kyrgios later claimed he had been provoked into making the remarks, which centred around Wawrinka’s rumoured partner Donna Vekic getting with fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The multi-major winner was clearly disgusted by Kyrgios’ outburst and called for the ATP to take “major action” against him following the defeat.
What was said I wouldn’t say to my worst enemy.
To stop so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief.— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) August 13, 2015
Kyrgios later apologised for his actions, saying they were “unacceptable”. But the damage was already done. Moreover, he was fined $10,000 by the ATP for his comments, along with a suspended 28-day ban.
2) Defaulted in Rome
In May 2019, Kyrgios was defaulted from the Italian Open during his second round match against Casper Ruud.
When the Norwegian broke back to make it 1-1 in the deciding set, the Aussie was given a game penalty, ostensibly for swearing at a line judge.
That did not go down well with the 6ft 4in player, who slammed down his racket, kicked a bottle of water, and hurled a chair on to the court.
Just as the umpire called the referee, Kyrgios told the crowd, “I’m done,” and trudged off court, prompting loud whistlers and jeers.
Despite saying “sorry Roma” as part of an Instagram post, Kyrgios was docked his €33,635 in prize money and 45 ATP points. Plus, he was fined €20,000 for three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and was ordered to cover the cost of his tournament hospitality.
3) Record fine for Kyrgios
Later that year at the Cincinnati Masters, Kyrgios had a heated clash with umpire Fergus Murphy during his defeat to Karen Khachanov.
The former two-time junior Grand Slam champion accused Murphy of starting the shot clock too early, before being hit with a point penalty for allegedly swearing at the official.
The then 24-year-old proceeded to leave the court, for an apparent bathroom break, and was seen smashing his rackets in the tunnel.
Kyrgios, who also called Murphy the “worst ref in the game”, refused to shake the Irish umpire’s hand after the match and was later hit with a whopping $113,000.
$85,000 of that was for unsportsmanlike conduct, $20,000 was for verbal abuse, $5,000 came from the audible obscenity and a further $3,000 for leaving the court.
4) Lengthy ban
Kyrgios was banned for eight tournament weeks and fined $25,000 for his behaviour during the 2016 Shanghai Masters.
The then 21-year-old was accused of tanking during his straight set defeat to Mischa Zverev. In one instance, he began walking back to his chair before the German’s serve had landed.
Kyrgios received a code violation for swearing during the contest, which led to a $16,500 fine for breaching the ATP code of conduct. He then agreed to an ATP plan to consult a sports psychologist, which reduced the ban to three weeks.
At the time, Kyrgios said, “I regret that my year is ending this way. I do understand and respect the decision by the ATP. The season has been a long one as I battled several injuries and other challenges towards the end of the summer.
“My body finally just gave out in Shanghai both physically and mentally. This is no excuse, and I know very well that I need to apologise to the fans.”
5) Common assault case
In February 2023, Kyrgios admitted to assaulting his former girlfriend, Chiara Passari, but avoided a criminal conviction (common assault).
Kyrgios’ lawyers reportedly failed to have the charged dismissed on mental health grounds, with the Canberra court hearing that he pushed Passari onto the pavement during a row in January 2021.
The magistrate called the incident a “single act of stupidity or frustration”, with Kyrgios shoving Passari after she stopped his car from driving way amidst a heated argument.
Passari reported the incident to police the following month but did not make a complaint. The couple reconciled but after they broke up, she made a formal complaint to the force in December 2021.
He said after the hearing, “I was not in good place when this happened and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.”
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