Former World No 1 tennis star Simona Halep has hit out at Nick Kyrgios following the Australian’s positive cocaine test bombshell.
Kyrgios, 31, revealed he has been provisionally suspended from the sport after he submitted a sample while playing in Mallorca on June 22 that contained benzoylecgonine, a substance found in the class A drug.
Kyrgios said he took ‘full responsibility’ for his mistake and was ‘deeply disappointed’ in himself.
The Australian has been suspended since August 4, meaning he cannot play in, coach at, or attend any professional men’s or women’s tournament, including Grand Slams such as Wimbledon.
Kyrgios has staunchly opposed drug use in tennis and has regularly taken aim at stars who have tested positive.
He ruthlessly berated Halep while she served a ban for a doping violation in 2023, labelling her a ‘potato’.
Simona Halep has hit back at Nick Kyrgios following his positive cocaine test
Australian tennis star Kyrgios publicly berated the former No 1 during her doping ban
Halep took to social media on Wednesday and said: ‘Never kick someone when they’re down’
‘I’d imagine if I was taking similar things to be banned for 4 years, I’d have about 5 slams. Potato,’ he wrote.
‘I run on bananas and coke cola in 5 set battles. And my record in them speaks for itself. Maybe players should just stop taking shady s***.
‘Look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and say yep I did it right. Not hard.’
Following Kyrgios’ admission of cocaine use on Wednesday, Halep took to Instagram to have her say, sharing a photo of a bottle of coke and a bunch of bananas in a not-so-subtle dig at the Australian.
She later posted: ‘Never kick someone when they’re down. Life has a strange way of changing positions and an even stranger way of revealing the difference between an accident and a choice.’
Kyrgios said on social media on Wednesday: ‘I wanted you to hear it from me first. I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine.
‘I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.
‘I am sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors, and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.
‘I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally.
‘My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.
‘I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone.
Kyrgios admitted to testing positive for cocaine while he was in Majorca, Spain
‘None of that excuses what I did.
‘However, the good news is that this has given me a wake-up call. For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right.
‘I’d ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family.
‘I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better. Nick.’
Kyrgios played in Majorca at the Association of Tennis Professionals 250 event in late June, losing his singles match to fellow Australian Adam Walton in straight sets on June 22.
He later withdrew from the doubles, where he and partner John-Patrick Smith had been due to play Austin Krajicek and Nikola Mektic the following day.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the sport’s anti-doping body, has since announced that Kyrgios has been handed a mandatory provisional suspension.
A statement read: ‘The International Tennis Integrity Agency has provisionally suspended Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
‘Kyrgios provided a sample during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22, 2026. On July 17, 2026, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
‘Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. If taken out of competition, reduced sanctions apply for substances of abuse.
‘Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional suspension is mandatory and has been in place since August 4, 2026.
‘Kyrgios, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 13 in October 2016, has the right to appeal the provisional suspension, but has not done so to date.
‘As with all Tennis Anti-Doping Programme cases, ITIA support is available to Kyrgios.
‘While suspended, Kyrgios is not allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.’
