Nick Kyrgios has once again voiced his opinions, this time criticizing the state of tennis following Iga Swiatek’s suspension for testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).
The five-time Grand Slam champion’s suspension sparked a series of strong reactions from Kyrgios on X (formerly Twitter), where he declared the sport “cooked.”
Kyrgios questioned the plausibility of athletes claiming ignorance of banned substances, suggesting it’s become a convenient excuse. He also shared and commented on other posts criticizing the integrity of tennis players, citing various substances from “cows” to “sleeping pills” as potential contaminants.
When a fan challenged Kyrgios’s right to criticize the sport given his own prolonged absence from professional play, Kyrgios responded defensively, pointing to his planned Australian Open appearance and dismissing the fan’s comment as the product of social media empowering insignificant voices.
Swiatek’s suspension marks the second major doping case since Kyrgios last competed in June 2023. Earlier this year, Jannik Sinner, the current ATP No. 1, tested positive twice for steroids but was cleared of wrongdoing in August after an investigation concluded the substance entered his system unintentionally through a massage. Sinner went on to win the US Open. Kyrgios expressed skepticism over Sinner’s explanation, arguing that any presence of a banned substance, regardless of intent, should result in a two-year ban.
