Nick Kyrgios has struggled to find any rhythm on tour in 2026 after his struggles began Down Under. Following a first-round loss in Brisbane in January,he withdrew from the Australian Open singles, citing injury concerns. Now, the former doubles Grand Slam champion is in the news for all the wrong reasons. AGAIN. This time, though, there is little room to simply move past what has unfolded.

On June 22, Kyrgios provided a sample at the Mallorca Open, which later returned an adverse finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of co****e. The result led to a suspension, with Kyrgios choosing to accept responsibility rather than challenge the findings. He later addressed the situation in an emotional message to his fans.

“I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for co****e. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me,” said Kyrgios on his Instagram story.

“I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”

Kyrgios proceeded to explain the backstory behind what drove him to this. The Australian had a stellar year in 2022, reaching Sunday’s final at SW19 and making it to the last eight just two months later at Flushing Meadows. After that, he has had just 10 singles matches with a dismal 2-8 record.

Given the 31-year-old’s potential and shot-making abilities, age is one factor keeping him from being able to pull off those moments of magic he has gotten accustomed to on court. Now, as Kyrgios gets older, a reality of life away from tennis is catching up to him, per his own admission.

Since 2023, Kyrgios has been riddled with injuries. He has been especially struggling with his knee and wrist, the latter of which needed a complete reconstruction surgery. In his long spells away from the court over the last four seasons, the Australian had gradually moved into other things.

He launched his own podcast and even tried his luck with commentary at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. However, based on his own Instagram story, these did not help him cope with his time away from tennis.

Kyrgios did admit that all of this was no excuse for his actions.

In a bid to get himself back on track, the former Wimbledon singles finalist announced some immediate changes.

“However, the good news is that this has given me a wake up call. For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right.”

Though he has previously wiped his social media clean or stepped away from the platform, this is the first time he has announced a clear plan for the same.

The Grand Slam champion concluded his message vowing “to do the work and come back better.”

Kyrgios may be able to get back in shape and regain match fitness, with a possible wildcard waiting when the Tour heads back Down Under. However, the timing of “come back” may be beyond his control due to his transgressions.

As per the regulations, sanctions for co****e use will vary from those used for performance-enhancing drugs.

Kyrgios has received a provisional suspension, which might lead to a ban of lesser duration if he enrolls in a drug prevention program under the ITIA. However, the news, broken by Ben Rothenberg, claims that the Aussie was found using the substance during the tournament.

This could mean a longer ban for Kyrgios, potentially lasting for years.

As of now, the Australian has made no appeals or challenges to the legal process. It will be crucial if Kyrgios has any chance of proving recreational use, meaning that he consumed the substance before the tournament began.

This stipulation has been crucial in previous cases, as Dan Evans got a reduced sentence of one year when he was found using the same substance in 2017. However, the Brit did not challenge the findings and was able to prove recreational use rather than in-tournament use.

Now, should the Australian face a multi-year ban following the investigation, his chances of making a comeback are slim.

While there is still no confirmed timeline for Kyrgios’ suspension, the Australian has previously been vocal about how WADA handles doping cases.

Nick Kyrgios criticized WADA for their way of handling doping cases

Last year, Kyrgios called out the three-month suspension handed to Jannik Sinner, arguing that the punishment did not reflect the severity of the allegations.

“So WADA come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” wrote Kyrgios after WADA announced its agreement with the Italian. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

Kyrgios, who spent much of last year questioning the way doping suspensions were handled, is now facing a provisional suspension of his own, with no confirmed timeline for his return to competition.