"I did take cocaine," tennis troublemaker admits drug allegations: "My game didn't go as I wanted, so it was a mistake"... Looks like he's leaving the court for rehab

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Australian tennis star Nick Kyrios (31) received a suspension after testing positive for cocaine. Kyrios admitted to taking the drug and issued a public apology.

The UK's "The Sun" reported on the 19th (Korean time) that "Kyrios tested positive for cocaine at the Mallorca Open, a Wimbledon warm-up tournament, and has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)."

The ITIA imposed sanctions on Kyrios effective August 4. As of now, Kyrios has not filed an appeal and is accepting the penalty. The drug test in question was conducted during the ATP 250 Mallorca tournament in June.

On the 19th, Kyrios made his statement directly via Instagram. He confessed, "I tested positive for cocaine at the Mallorca drug test," adding, "I made a huge mistake and will take full responsibility." He then apologized to fans, family, and sponsors, stating, "I am especially disappointed that I have become a bad role model for my young fans who follow me."

Kyrios cited frequent injuries leading to stress and pressure regarding retirement as the background for his cocaine use. Since late 2022, he has suffered from various injuries, including wrist surgery, managing to play only 10 singles matches. He has won titles just twice: at the Miami Open in March 2025 and the Stuttgart Open in June this year. After being eliminated in the first round of the Mallorca tournament immediately following the Stuttgart event, he hinted at retirement after also losing in the first round of Wimbledon doubles.

He revealed, "The injuries I have experienced over the past few years have dealt a severe physical and mental blow. It was difficult to accept that my body would not move as I wanted and that the end of my playing career was approaching." He added, "While I felt powerless and lonely in the process of letting go of tennis, which was everything to me for my whole life, I will not make excuses. For the next 28 days, I will cease all social media and public activities and focus on correcting myself."

Meanwhile, Kyrios's past remarks have also come under scrutiny due to this incident. Just two years ago, he strongly criticized the situation when world No. 1 players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were caught in drug tests but received light sanctions, stating, "Doping by top-ranked players is disgusting. The tennis world's response has been terrible."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original