Nick Kyrgios’ cocaine ban was no surprise, he knew it was happening: Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas has revealed he was not surprised by Nick Kyrgios’ suspension after testing positive for cocaine, saying he knew about the case before it was officially announced.
Tsitsipas was asked about Kyrgios after beating No. 10 seed Arthur Fils in the first round of the US Open on Monday. Greek said he heard about the situation before it became public and was more surprised by the timing of the announcement.
“To be honest, it was quite expected,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m surprised it came this late. Kyrgios tested positive for cocaine after providing a sample while competing at the ATP 250 in Mallorca, Spain, in June. The positive test was confirmed on July 17 in a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
A temporary suspension was imposed on August 4 after a positive test. Kyrgios then announced the case on August 19 in an Instagram post describing it as a “huge mistake.”
Tsitsipas said he was aware of the situation before Kyrgios’ announcement on social media.
“I mean, to be completely honest with you, I knew about it before the announcement. I knew about it myself,” Tsitsipas said. “So what can I tell you? I’m just going to tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made and when I saw it on social media I was like, ‘Here it goes.’ I kind of expected it to be honest.”
TSITSIPAS CLAIMS HE KNEW ABOUT KYRGIOS
Tsitsipas went on to say that his knowledge was not limited to the positive test and claimed that he had heard about Kyrgios’ behavior off the tennis courts from people in the sport.
“I knew these are things that happen outside the tennis courts. I’ll tell you,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m not going to try to cover up for someone I know the truth about. I’m going to be a nice person to everyone, but this was behavior that I’ve personally heard on tour and heard other people in the same environment say things like that to me.”
The 28-year-old then reiterated his opinion that the suspension itself was not unexpected. “When I saw (the suspension), I was, like, well, pretty much expected, to be honest. I’m surprised it came this late.”
KYRGIOS ADMITS BIG MISTAKE
Kyrgios revealed the positive test in August after a provisional suspension had already been imposed. The Australian admitted that he had tested positive for cocaine after the competition in Mallorca and accepted responsibility for what happened.
“I wanted you to hear it from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.
Kyrgios also apologized to those affected, including his supporters and family. “I apologize to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Most of all, I’m sorry to the kids who watch me. I know this is an example and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
A positive test for cocaine leads to a mandatory temporary suspension under anti-doping rules. Kyrgios faces up to a four-year ban, although a lighter sentence is expected.
The 31-year-old reached his only Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2022, losing to Novak Djokovic in the title match. Since then, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his career and prevented him from building any kind of sustained run on the ATP Tour.
TSITSIPAS AND KYRGIOS HAVE A HISTORY OF RELATIONSHIPS
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios have had a strained relationship since their memorable meeting at Wimbledon in 2022.
Their match in the third round became one of the most controversial contests of this year’s tournament. Tsitsipas hit the ball into the crowd and deliberately aimed another shot at Kyrgios during the match, which the Australian won in four sets.
Afterwards, Tsitsipas described Kyrgios as a “tyrant”. Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final that year, but the tournament marked the beginning of a period in which his career was increasingly hampered by injuries.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
01 Sep 2026 09:16 IST