‘I kind of expected it’: Tsitsipas not surprised by Kyrgios’s cocaine ban

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the former World No.3, has expressed his lack of surprise at Nick Kyrgios's cocaine ban. Tsitsipas stated during the 2026 US Open that he was only taken aback that the news had come out so late. He revealed that he had prior knowledge of such incidents occurring away from the tennis courts. Kyrgios had been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine in June while in Spain for an event.

He acknowledged making a "huge mistake" and taking full responsibility for the violation. Kyrgios could face a four-year ban, although a lighter punishment is anticipated. The tennis player was grilled about Kyrgios after losing to Arthur Fils in the first round of the U.S. Open. Tsitsipas admitted that he knew about Kyrgios's issues before the official announcement, stating, "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." The two tennis players had a heated match at Wimbledon in 2022, where Kyrgios reached the Grand Slam final. Tsitsipas had even hit a shot directly at Kyrgios, intentionally hit a ball into the crowd, and later referred to Kyrgios as a "bully." Kyrgios, who has been struggling with injuries since then, said he felt "helpless and alone" when he was suspended. However, he emphasized that none of his actions could justify what he did.