Nick Kyrgios has launched a savage attack on tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek for breaches of the sport’s anti-doping program, labelling their conduct as ‘disgusting for our sport’.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) levelled charges against world No.1 Sinner and former world No.1 Iga Swiatek for breaches.
Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.
Swiatek also managed to accept a one-month suspension in November for testing positive to the banned substance trimetazidine.
‘Two world No.1s both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look,’ Kyrgios said at his Brisbane International press conference.
‘Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it, it’s awful.’
Nick Kyrgios has launched another blistering attack on tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek for breaches of the sport’s anti-doping program
Sinner tested positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol twice in March
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 on the Sinner and Swiatek situations.
‘Someone like me … I would never even in my entire life ever try and dope in this sport,’ he said.
‘Especially going through an injury like I went through, obviously there are things out there that could speed up healing, help me get back to prime level, help my recovery.
‘There’s so many things out there that are prohibited in our sport that I could have been doing to get me back quicker … (but) that’s just not who I am. I’m always against that.
‘So for me when people are saying that I’m disrespectful to the sport, I think someone like that that has tried to cheat the process, and actually not done it completely on their own merit, is the disrespectful one in my opinion.
‘I have to be outspoken about it because I don’t think there’s enough people that are speaking about it. I think people are trying to sweep it under the rug.’
Sinner had successfully argued that his physiotherapist had accidentally contaminated him during treatment with clostebol which had transferred from a cut on his own hand.
Kyrgios raised questions over what happened next.
Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in November for testing positive to the banned substance trimetazidine
Kyrgios says he is not going to ‘shut up’ about the doping issues in tennis
‘I (pay) my team hundreds and thousands of dollars to be the professionals they are, to make sure that doesn’t happen,’ Kyrgios said.
‘So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months to do anything about it? He kept his team for five months … that doesn’t make sense.
‘I’d be livid. If my physiotherapist contaminated me, put me in this position, I would probably never talk to the guy again. He had the guy on his team for five months, acting like nothing happened.’
Kyrgios has been criticised for his outspoken ways but said he would not change on issues he held dear.
‘For a kid that grew up playing tennis, I enjoyed the competition, I enjoyed playing,’ he said.
‘I can get emotional, I can throw a racquet, but that’s nothing compared to cheating and taking performance-enhancing drugs. That’s ridiculous in my opinion. I’m not going to shut up about it anyway.’
Meanwhile, speaking ahead of her United Cup campaign in Sydney on Saturday, Swiatek was ‘really appreciative’ she hasn’t been subjected to intense criticism.
‘The reaction in Poland basically – because this is mostly what I read – has been pretty supportive,’ she said.
Kyrgios has not played tournament tennis since June 2023 due to wrist and knee injuries
‘I really, really appreciate that because even, you know, when I missed the China swing and nobody knew why it wasn’t so easy.
‘After the information about my case was released, I was scared that most people are going to turn their back on me but I felt the support and it’s great.’
Swiatek also doesn’t expect WADA to appeal her case – and had a message for those questioning her integrity.
‘Obviously there are going to be some negative comments and you’re not going to avoid that,’ she said.
‘That’s something that is always going to follow us no matter what happens.’
