Nick Kyrgios has signed the latest chapter of a story full of scandals. The Australian tennis player has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for cocaine in an anti-doping test conducted during the Mallorca Open on June 22 and has been sanctioned since August 4.
It was the athlete himself who communicated it on his social media with an extensive statement. "I wanted you to hear it from me first," wrote the Australian. Although this scandal reaches extreme dimensions, Kyrgios has never been absent from controversies. Now, this episode adds as a new chapter to an already extensive book, written with scandals.
His behaviors have always been more than questionable. One of the first times the tennis player's character was evident was in 2015, during the second-round match of the Canada Masters 1000. Kyrgios lost his temper against Swiss player Stan Wawrinka and decided to attack him by pointing to his partner. The microphones on the court captured the comment: "Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend, sorry to tell you, mate." The result was a $10,000 fine from the ATP.
But those are not the only thousands of dollars Kyrgios has had to pay for his embarrassing behaviors. The next scandal came during a match against Mischa Zverev, brother of Grand Slam winner Alexander Zverev. It was at the Shanghai Masters 1000, where the Australian made it clear that he had little desire to be on the court. He was the favorite against a Zverev who came from the qualifiers and was ranked 110th in the world at the time. However, if the opponent barely fights, doesn't run, and gives away every point, the balance shifts to the other side. And if there were any doubts that he didn't want to be there, he dispelled them himself: "Can you just say 'Time' so I can finish this match and go home?" the player replied to the chair umpire after being reprimanded for his behavior on the court. This time it was $16,500.
But it seems that those fines are nothing more than financial expenses because, as a punishment, they never seem to have had an effect. In 2018, during the Queen's semifinals against Novak Djokovic, the Australian simulated masturbation using a water bottle. The result? Another fine. $15,000 in this case. But, of course, they were not enough to avoid another scandal.
Controversy after controversy, Kyrgios no longer seems capable of surprising, but the Australian always finds a way to exceed expectations, especially in a sport like tennis, traditionally associated with manners, correctness, and elegance. It's impossible to keep track of the number of rackets he has broken after losing his temper. One of them was against Rafa Nadal during Indian Wells 2022, where, after smashing his racket on the ground, he almost hit the ball boy. But he has also thrown chairs, water bottles, and countless shouts at the crowd and the chair umpire. He has held surreal press conferences while eating sushi and spat at fans when the match didn't go his way.
It's also curious how in 2024, the Australian publicly commented on the doping case of Jannik Sinner: "It's ridiculous, whether accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned substance (steroids)... You should be out for two years," Nick wrote on his social media. Now, the tables have turned, and he finds himself at the center of a doping case.
On and off the court, Kyrgios has never been immune to incidents that have long fostered a more than questionable image of him. Now, the latest chapter, which, although not surprising after knowing his history, once again questions the sportsmanship and ethics of a tennis player who has not lacked success, reaching number 13 in the world in 2016. He has won seven individual titles and reached four finals, the latest being at Wimbledon 2022. But what he mostly accumulates are scandals, and sometimes, those are remembered more than the victories.