Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke publicly for the first time about the Nick Kyrgios case, revealing that he had known what had happened quite some time before it became public knowledge.
The Greek champion spoke at a press conference following his 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-4 victory over France’s Arthur Fich in New York and, responding to a question on the matter, spoke openly about the case involving the 31-year-old Australian.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Tsitsipas Makes His Debut in Shanghai with an Eye on the Restart
“I knew about it before the announcement. I personally knew about it, and I’m surprised it came to light so late,” Tsitsipas said initially, explaining that when he saw the news circulating on social media, he wasn’t taken by surprise.
“I’ll just tell you the truth. I knew all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I thought, ‘Well, here we go.’ To be honest, in a way, I was expecting it,” he added.
Tsitsipas even hinted that information about this particular case had been circulating for quite some time within the professional tour.
“I knew these were things happening away from the tennis courts. I’m not going to try to cover for anyone when I know the truth. I consider myself a good person toward everyone, but these were behaviors I had personally heard about on the tour. I’d also heard other people from the same circle talk to me about these things,” he said.
The Nick Kyrgios case came to light on August 19, when it was revealed that he had tested positive in a test conducted on June 22, 2026, during the ATP 250 tournament in Mallorca.
According to the information released, benzoylecgonine— a metabolite of cocaine and a substance listed on WADA’s Prohibited List due to its stimulant properties. The presence of the substance was confirmed on July 17 by an accredited laboratory, and Kyrgios was provisionally suspended effective August 4.
He did not appeal the decision, and shortly after the case became public, he took full responsibility by issuing a statement of apology.
“I have made a huge mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. I apologize to the fans, my family, my sponsors, and everyone close to me. Above all, I apologize to the children who look up to me. I know what kind of example I set, and I am disappointed in myself,” said the Greek-Australian tennis player.
*photo source: AP
