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Kyrgios provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 365 words · By Reuters
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What to know about Kyrgios provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the suspension of the 31-year-old following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, from a sample taken during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June.

Claims checked 6
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the suspension of the 31-year-old following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, from a sample taken during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June.

Why it matters

Kyrgios, who reached a career-high rank of 13, has been provisionally suspended since August 4 after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory confirmed the presence of the banned stimulant on July 17.

Common ground

"I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-19-kyrgios-provisionally-suspend…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
verified Verified 1
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Claim 1: “While suspended, Kyrgios cannot play in, coach at, or attend any events organised by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Yardbarker, Yahoo Sports) explicitly list the restrictions of the suspension, including the prohibition from playing, coaching, or attending events organized by World Tennis, ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, or national associations.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In tennis, "Battle of the Sexes" describes various exhibition matches played between a man and a woman, or a doubles match between two men and two women in one case. The term is most famously used for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Sexes_(tennis)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicholas Hilmy Kyrgios ( KIRR-ee-oss; born 27 April 1995) is an Australian professional tennis player. Kyrgios has been ranked as high as world No. 13 by the ATP, achieved in October 2016. He has won …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Kyrgios
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas John Robert Paul (born May 17, 1997) is an American professional tennis player. He reached an Association of Tennis Professionals singles ranking of world No. 8 on June 9, 2025, and a doubles r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Paul_(tennis)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “Kyrgios, who reached a career-high rank of 13, has been provisionally suspended since August 4 after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory confirmed the presence of the banned stimulant on July 17.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the provisional suspension began on August 4 following a positive test. While the specific 'July 17' WADA lab confirmation date is implied by the timeline in the reports, the suspension date of August 4 is explicitly corroborated by multiple news sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of major sports controversies in Australia or concerning Australian sportspeople. These controversies cover areas such as rules, match fixing, cheating, sportsmanship, doping and sport …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_sports_cont…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Venus Ebony Star Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in both women's singles and doubles by the Women's Tennis Association. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Williams
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jannik Sinner (born 16 August 2001) is an Italian professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 1 by Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and was the year-end No. 1 in 2024. Sinne…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jannik_Sinner
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “The Australian has not appealed the provisional suspension”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources explicitly state that Nick Kyrgios has not appealed the provisional suspension.
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web search NEUTRAL — Nick Kyrgios’ suspension is another painful chapter in a career that has never followed a predictable path. The Australian has admitted his mistake and accepted responsibility for the positive cocaine…
https://www.yardbarker.com/tennis/articles/nick_kyrgios_susp…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has tested positive for cocaine at an ATP Tour event and has been provisionally suspended.The suspension has been in place since August 4, and Kyrgios, 31, has not…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7523268/2026/08/19/nick-kyr…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine. The 31-year-old apologized to his fans, saying he'd "made a huge mistake."
https://www.dw.com/en/nick-kyrgios-doping-cocaine-suspended/…
verified
Claim 4: “Kyrgios, who reached a career-high rank of 13, has been provisionally suspended since August 4 after a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) laboratory confirmed the presence of the banned stimulant on July 17.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Nick Kyrgios' career-high ranking of 13 is explicitly confirmed by Wikipedia and multiple other sports data sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In tennis, "Battle of the Sexes" describes various exhibition matches played between a man and a woman, or a doubles match between two men and two women in one case. The term is most famously used for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Sexes_(tennis)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicholas Hilmy Kyrgios ( KIRR-ee-oss; born 27 April 1995) is an Australian professional tennis player. Kyrgios has been ranked as high as world No. 13 by the ATP, achieved in October 2016. He has won …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Kyrgios
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the main career statistics of Australian professional tennis player Nick Kyrgios whose professional career started in 2013. To date, Kyrgios has won seven ATP singles titles and his …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Kyrgios_career_statistics
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the suspension of the 31-year-old following a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, from a sample taken during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (AOL, Al Jazeera, and other news reports) confirm that the ITIA suspended Nick Kyrgios after a positive test for cocaine (benzoylecgonine) during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jannik Sinner (born 16 August 2001) is an Italian professional tennis player. He is currently ranked world No. 1 by Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and was the year-end No. 1 in 2024. Sinne…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jannik_Sinner
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nicholas Hilmy Kyrgios ( KIRR-ee-oss; born 27 April 1995) is an Australian professional tennis player. Kyrgios has been ranked as high as world No. 13 by the ATP, achieved in October 2016. He has won …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Kyrgios
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sanjar Fayziev (born 29 July 1994) is an Uzbekistani tennis player. Fayziev has a career high ATP singles ranking of 253 achieved on 17 July 2017. He also has a career high ATP doubles ranking of 190 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjar_Fayziev
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “Cocaine is classified as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under tennis anti-doping rules.”
VERIFIED
The classification of cocaine as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List is a matter of official record, confirmed by Wikipedia and specific reports on the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cocaine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and tropane alkaloid, derived primarily from the leaves of two coca species native to South America: Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. The le…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The global cocaine trade operates in illicit and legal spheres, encompassing international trafficking networks and tightly-controlled commercial and pharmaceutical supply chains. The illicit market i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_and_society
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Standard for the Prohibited List is the standard published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that lists substances prohibited in competitive sport. It is updated at least once p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_drugs_banned_by_the_Wo…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.