Following Nick Kyrgios‘ provisional suspension, speculation rose about what kind of sanction the Australian might get for testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of c***ine. Now, it all depends on whether he can prove the timing of the substance intake.
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Kyrgios is being judged in a different light by the authorities since this is not a case of performance-enhancing drugs. According to BBC insider Russell Fuller, the adjudication process hinges on whether Kyrgios can prove he took the drug in question before playing at the Mallorca event.
If that comes to pass, the ban on the Australian would be up to three months. As the Australian is already under provisional suspension from August 4, he might be eligible to compete by the end of the year.
However, if the Australian cannot prove taking the drug before the tournament, and it is proved that there was in-tournament consumption, then a potential ban of up to four years might be imposed on the former Wimbledon runner-up. Aged 31 and riddled with injuries, such a ban might very well end the Australian’s tennis career.
Regulations have continued to evolve in tennis regarding drug violations. Back in October 2017, Dan Evans was found positive for the same drug as Kyrgios, and even though the Brit provided evidence of him consuming the drug before any tournament. He was still given a one-year ban. However, the rules evolved in 2021 to give more lenient bans for out-of-competition consumption of substances of abuse, something which was used in the case of Imran Sibille in 2025.
In his social media message after his failed drug test, Kyrgios did not dispute the findings but rather took responsibility for his actions while narrating his struggles with injuries in the last few years. However, given that the Australian was more than harsh on his peers for drug violations, which didn’t fare well for the Australian after the news broke.
Nick Kyrgios Was Harsh on His Peers for Similar Violations
Kyrgios was less than kind to his peers, such as Simona Halep, Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek, when they failed drug tests. Now that the Australian is facing the music, Halep hit back, reminding the Australian not to pile on misery for someone who is already suffering misfortune.
Even when the cases of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek came to light, Kyrgios was one of the loudest voices on social media, calling for a clean sport, while emphasizing his position as a player who had never failed a drug test. Even though all three aforementioned players proved that the failed tests were due to contamination rather than intentional consumption, Kyrgios did not stop criticizing the players and blaming the existing processes of the ITIA and WADA.
Following Kyrgios’ drug test failure, the Australian received a whole host of backlash on social media, with even tennis insiders and journalists taking sarcastic digs at the Australian player. The former World No.13, however, has stepped away from social media till his legal proceedings are done, as he stated in his emotional message on Instagram.
As far as his performances are concerned, Kyrgios has played only 10 matches since 2022, struggling with multiple injuries.