Nick Kyrgios, 33-year-old Australian tennis player, was temporarily suspended after testing positive for cocaine in an anti-doping control carried out in Mallorca. The player acknowledged the result in a statement published on his Instagram account, taking full responsibility for the incident.
Kyrgios indicated that the past two years marked by injuries have affected him both physically and mentally. He explained that his body has not been able to respond to the demands of his mind and that accepting his approach to the end of his career has been particularly difficult. The tennis player stressed that nothing justifies his actions, although he sought to contextualise the situation he found himself in.
The Australian has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health problems for years. In a 2022 interview with Australian channel Nine, Kyrgios described difficulties in maintaining emotional balance since childhood and noted that he has suffered severe self-harm. He acknowledged that in 2019 he experienced suicidal thoughts and severe depression while competing professionally, abusing alcohol and drugs during that period.
Kyrgios stated that he has dealt with feelings of worthlessness and disappointment, feeling used by people who "really didn't care who I was as a human being, but only as a tennis player". He indicated that he overcame his previous crisis through family support and the adoption of healthier habits, including changes in diet and sleep.
Kyrgios's legal representatives argued before Australian courts in 2022 that the tennis player suffers from mental health problems. This argument was presented in relation to charges of common assault for allegedly mistreating his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in December 2021, an incident that required police intervention.
