Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios was cleared to return to the tennis circuit after serving a one-month suspension for cocaine use and entering a treatment program, as announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
Kyrgios, 31 years old and a Wimbledon finalist in 2022, tested positive in an anti-doping test conducted on June 22 during an ATP tournament in Mallorca. The player was provisionally suspended on August 4, after publicly admitting the adverse result and taking responsibility for what happened, describing it as "a huge mistake."
The ITIA explained that Kyrgios argued that the positive result was due to social consumption outside the competitive context, and not from substance use to enhance sports performance. Based on this argument and the athlete's entry into a treatment program, the agency decided to accept the reduced one-month suspension.
The case generated repercussions in the professional tennis circuit, with other players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas publicly commenting on Kyrgios's situation. The Australian tennis player asked for privacy during the period away from the sport and withdrew from public life after the suspension announcement.
