Tsitsipas says Kyrgios’s positive cocaine test ‘kind of expected’

Stefanos Tsitsipas expressed surprise at his former rival Nick Kyrgios testing positive for cocaine, stating that he "kind of expected it." The world No 53 from Greece made the remark at the US Open after defeating French 10th seed Arthur Fils in four sets in the opening round. Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended following the positive drugs test.

The 31-year-old Australian, who has not played much singles tennis recently, admitted to making a "huge mistake" after failing the test for cocaine last month. Kyrgios apologized and blamed injuries for taking a significant toll on him physically and mentally. When asked about the positive drug test, Tsitsipas said he would not try to cover up someone he knows to be telling the truth.

He explained that he saw this behavior on the tour and heard others say similar things to him. While Tsitsipas considers himself a nice person, he found these behaviors "pretty much expected." Kyrgios, known for his powerful serve and ground strokes, has won seven singles titles on the ATP Tour and reached a peak ranking of 13 in 2016.

Despite his skills, his career has been hampered by a series of injuries. In January, Kyrgios admitted that he would never be the player he once was.