Nick Kyrgios has slammed Sinner, Suatek, for doping-related issues

BRISBANE, Australia – Just days away from returning to tennis at the Brisbane International, Nick Kyrgios didn’t mince his words in reference to doping-related allegations against Janic Sinar and Iga Suatec, labeling the violation of the sport’s anti-doping program “abhorrent to our sport.”

Complaints have been filed against the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). World’s No. 1 Sinner and the former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Cena twice tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban as the ITIA ruled he was not guilty.

Swiatek also received a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

“Two world No. 1s doping is abhorrent to our sport. It’s a horrible look,” Kyrgios said at his Brisbane International press conference on Saturday. “The integrity of tennis right now, and everybody knows it but nobody wants to talk about it, it’s terrible.”

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 in the Sinner and Switek situation.

“Someone like me … I would never even try to dope in this sport in my entire life,” he said. “Especially going through an injury like I went through, obviously there’s something out there that can speed up the healing, help me get back to prime level, help my recovery.

“There are a lot of things that are banned in our sport that I could have done to get me back faster … (but) that’s not who I am. I am always against it.”

Sinner successfully argued that his physiotherapist accidentally contaminated him during treatment with Clostbol that was transferred from a cut on his own hand.

Kyrgios questioned what happened next.

“I pay my team hundreds and thousands of dollars to be professional, so that doesn’t happen,” Kyrgios said. “So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months to do something about it? He’s kept his team for five months… that doesn’t make sense.

Kyrgios will face France’s 21-year-old Giovanni Pericard in the first round in Brisbane.

This will be Kyrgios’ first tour-level appearance since the Stuttgart Open in June 2023.

Kyrgios Also entered the Australian Open Starting from January 12. It will be his first Grand Slam singles tournament in more than two years.

Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International in 2018, will partner Novak Djokovic in the doubles in Brisbane. Djokovic defeated Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon singles final.

Djokovic is the No. 1 seed at the Brisbane International and will play Australia’s Rinke Hijikata in the opening round after Saturday’s singles draw.

Kyrgios and Djokovic are in the top half of the singles draw and won’t play each other until the semifinals if they both win.