‘I knew about it’: Rival’s wild claim after Kyrgios drug ban
Polarising Aussie tennis player Nick Kyrgios has been whacked by a couple of tour rivals as he serves a suspension for failing a drug test.
Kyrgios is serving a mandatory provisional suspension after he tested positive for benzoylecgonine – a metabolite of cocaine – in a sample taken during the grass court event at Mallorca in June.
A positive cocaine test could spell the end of Nick Kyrgios’ tennis career. Marijan Murat/dpa
When news of his suspension broke last month the reaction from the tennis world was not one of shock or pity. The likes of former world No.1 Simona Halep instead took shots at the firebrand former Wimbledon finalist, who has spent recent years on a personal crusade against drug use in tennis.
The brash, outspoken nature of the Canberra product has rubbed plenty of people the wrong way over the years.
At the US Open, both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov were asked about the Kyrgios ban.
Tsitsipas seemed to suggest he’d heard rumours of Kyrgios’ drug use prior to the positive test.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Tsitsipas began after being asked about Kyrgios.
“Being entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. I knew about it.
“I’ll just tell you the truth, I knew about all of this before any announcement was made and when I saw it on social media, I was like here we go. I kind of expected it, to be honest.
“I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis court, I’ll tell you that.
“I’m not going to try cover up someone that I know the truth (about). I consider myself a nice person with everyone. But these were behaviours that I personally heard on the tour, and heard other people in that environment saying those sort of things to me.
“So when I saw it, pretty much expected to be honest. I am surprised it came so late though.”
Khachanov has no sympathy for the Aussie who has courted plenty of controversy over a rollercoaster career on and off the court.
Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Getty
“Even when he wasn’t playing, he always liked to pick on someone, writing things on Twitter and so on,” the Russian star said.
“And now, when all that has turned against him… what do you want me to say? In the end, you reap what you sow.
“Honestly, it’s not just that I’m not surprised, but to some extent, I can’t feel too much pity either. What he got caught for was ultimately his choice.
”And in the end, look what happened. It backfired on him.”
When news of his suspension broke, Kyrgios took to social media to say he “made a huge mistake” and that a run of injury dramas and the looming end of his career left him feeling “helpless and alone”.
He has not spoken publicly since.
