Nick Kyrgios says doping accusations against Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are “disgusting for our sport” as he prepares to make his long-awaited return to tennis.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) recently accusations made against world number 1 Sinner and former world number 1 Iga Swiatek. Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban because the ITIA determined he was not to blame. Swiatek also accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
“Two world number ones are arrested for doping, it’s disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look,” Kyrgios said during his press conference at Brisbane International. “The integrity of tennis right now, and everyone knows it but no one wants to talk about it, it’s horrible.”
Kyrgios, 29, has not played tournament tennis since June 2023 due to wrist and knee injuries. He was asked about his motivations for speaking out about the Sinner and Swiatek situations.
“Someone like me…I would never in my entire life try to dope in this sport,” he said. “Especially after an injury like the one I suffered, obviously there are things that could speed up the healing, help me get back to the next level, help with my recovery.
“There are so many things that are forbidden in our sport that I could have done to come back faster… (but) that’s just not who I am.” I’m still against that.
Sinner had successfully argued that his physiotherapist accidentally contaminated him during treatment with clostebol, transferred from a cut on his own hand.
Kyrgios raised questions about what happened next.
“I (pay) hundreds and thousands of dollars to my team to be as professional as they are, to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Kyrgios said. “So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months before doing anything? He kept his team for five months… that doesn’t make sense.
Kyrgios will face Frenchman Giovanni Perricard, 21, in the first round in Brisbane. This will be Kyrgios’ first appearance on tour since the Stuttgart Open in June 2023. He has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the quarterfinals of the US Open 2022.
Kyrgios is also listed in the Australian Open from January 12. It would be his first major singles tournament in over two years.
Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International in 2018, will partner Novak Djokovic in doubles in Brisbane. Djokovic beat Kyrgios in the singles final at Wimbledon 2022.
Djokovic is the No. 1 seed at the Brisbane International and will face Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round following the singles draw held on Saturday. Kyrgios and Djokovic are in the top half of the singles draw and are not expected to face each other until the semifinals, if they both win.
