MELBOURNE, Sept 4 (Reuters) – Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has accepted and served a reduced, one-month suspension under anti-doping rules after testing positive for cocaine at an ATP Tour event in Mallorca, Spain in June, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
Kyrgios, who had been provisionally suspended since August 4, had entered into a treatment programme approved by the ITIA to reduce the three-month default suspension under WADA rules, the ITIA said in a statement.
During an interview with ITIA investigators, the 31-year-old explained that his use of cocaine had “occurred socially” during a night out before he was due to play in Mallorca, the statement said.
The ITIA consulted an independent scientific expert at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory, who stated that the explanation was consistent with the level of cocaine found in his sample.
“As a result, the ITIA accepted that Kyrgios’ use of cocaine was outside of competition,” it added.
The ITIA said Kyrgios’ suspension ends on Thursday, subject to completion of the programme.
Prize money and ranking points from the Mallorca event will be forfeited.
Cocaine is prohibited in-competition and carries a provisional suspension.
Kyrgios apologised last month on social media for the failed drug test, saying he had made a “huge mistake” and took full responsibility for it.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
