August
“I made a huge mistake,” said Nick Kyrgios after testing positive for cocaine.
Richard PagliaroAugust 19, 20262 minute read
By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Photo credit: Adelaide International Facebook
Nick Kyrgios has been a caustic critic of players who fail drug tests.
Now, Kyrgios is one of them.
The mercurial Kyrgios shared he tested positive for cocaine following a failed drug test in Spain.
“I wanted you to hear this from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” Kyrgios said in a statement posted to his Instagram page.
“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.”
Though the 31-year-old Kyrgios had a reputation as a partyer in his younger years, he was known for frequenting bars and being a drinker.
In a statement to Instagram Stories, Kyrgios apologized to his family, friends and fans.
“Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself,” Kyrgios in his post. “I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been.
“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.
“My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.
“I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone.”
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