Nick Kyrgios' ban depends on if player can prove he took cocaine out of competition
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Nick Kyrgios faces a potential ban for testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, at the Mallorca grass court event in June, currently serving a provisional suspension since 4 August.
- The severity of the ban depends on whether Kyrgios can prove he ingested the drug out of competition, which could reduce the ban from up to four years to a maximum of three months.
- Kyrgios is considered 'in competition' during the tournament dates, with the positive sample taken on 22 June, the day he exited the Mallorca event.
- If Kyrgios convinces the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that the drug was taken out of competition and agrees to a treatment program, the ban could be as short as one month, potentially allowing him to return by 4 September.
- This approach would avoid the need for an independent tribunal, expediting the resolution of the case.
