Nick Kyrgios suspension: what happened

Nick Kyrgios is free to play tennis. The one-month suspension he accepted from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after a positive test for cocaine has already been served: it was backdated to 4 August 2026 and ended on 3 September 2026. As of 23 October 2026 we could find no record of any further sanction, either from the ITIA or in Australian reporting. This explainer sets out what the agency found, the exact terms, and what is known about his plans for the Australian summer.

What happened

Kyrgios gave a urine sample on 22 June 2026 at the ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca, Spain, where he lost in the first round to fellow Australian Adam Walton. A WADA-accredited laboratory reported on 17 July that the sample contained benzoylecgonine, which the body produces when it breaks down cocaine.

Cocaine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list. It is banned in competition only, and it is classed as a "substance of abuse", a category with lighter penalties when the use happens out of competition.

The provisional suspension

For this type of substance the ITIA has to suspend a player provisionally while the case is decided. Kyrgios's provisional suspension started on 4 August 2026. The agency announced it publicly on 19 August, and at that point he had not appealed it.

While suspended, he could not play, coach or attend any event run by the ATP, the WTA, the Grand Slams or a national tennis association, including events in Australia.

The final terms

The case was settled on 3 September, when Kyrgios accepted a one-month suspension on these terms:

• Kyrgios told the ITIA he had taken cocaine socially on a night out a few days before his match in Mallorca.
• An independent scientific expert at a WADA-accredited laboratory found that explanation consistent with the amount detected, and the ITIA accepted that the use was out of competition.
• Under the WADA code, the standard ban for out-of-competition use of a substance of abuse is three months. It can drop to one month if the athlete completes a treatment program approved by the anti-doping body.
• Kyrgios agreed to such a program, so the ban was set at one month, counted from the start of the provisional suspension on 4 August.
• The suspension ended on Thursday 3 September, on the condition that he completed the program. He was eligible to compete again from Friday 4 September.
• He forfeited his prize money and ranking points from Mallorca. Australian reports put the prize money at €6,570.

Australian reporting noted that the possible penalty in a case like this ranged from three months up to four years.

What Kyrgios said

Kyrgios responded in a post on Instagram. He accepted full responsibility and apologised to fans, his family, his sponsors and young people who follow him, and said he was disappointed in himself. He linked the episode to a difficult stretch dealing with injuries and with the prospect of his career ending, while saying that this did not excuse what he had done. He described the suspension as a wake-up call and said he would step back from social media and public life for 28 days.

Where his career stands

Kyrgios has played very little in 2026. In January he lost in the first round of singles at the Brisbane International as a wildcard, then withdrew from the Australian Open singles because he did not think his body could handle best-of-five-set matches. He played doubles at Melbourne Park with Thanasi Kokkinakis and mixed doubles with Leylah Fernandez.

In June he won a singles match on grass in Stuttgart, his first grass-court match in three years, before losing in the second round. His last official match before the suspension was a first-round doubles loss at Wimbledon on 2 July, partnering Alexander Bublik. Afterwards he said he found it hard to see himself coming back. He has had serious knee and wrist injuries in recent seasons, and his singles ranking had slipped to 918 by 1 September. His career high is 13.

What it means for the Australian summer

The suspension itself has no effect on the summer, because it is over. Kyrgios can enter any event that will have him, including the Brisbane International, the United Cup and the Australian Open, which runs at Melbourne Park from 11 to 31 January 2027, with the main draw starting on 17 January.

The open questions are fitness and intent. In early October he was reported to be training on his home courts at Lyneham in Canberra, but he had not committed to any tournament or exhibition. He also spoke about a hard few weeks, including business setbacks and deaths in his family. With his ranking where it is, any main-draw place in Brisbane or Melbourne would almost certainly depend on a wildcard, and no tournament has announced one for him.

We could find no public statement from Kyrgios or Tennis Australia on whether he will play this summer. We will update this page if that changes. For the rest of the season's big events, see our Australian sports calendar.

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