Kyrgios gets lucky with cocaine-ban loophole

Nick Kyrgios escaped serious sanctions after testing positive for recreational use of cocaine, with the bad-boy Australian now free to test himself on the ATP as a one-month ban from competition expired on Friday.

The 31-year-old who lost the Wimbledon final four years ago but has since managed to play ust two other Grand Slams, tested positive for coke as he made a rare Tour appearance last June on grass in Mallorca.

After losing in the first round to a qualifier, the one-time title threat who has played just eight matches in two seasons turned in the positive test.

Anti-doping officials announced on Thursday that the payer now barely hanging on in the ranking top 1000 and likely due to retire out of lack of interest in tennis had been banned for a month.

That sanction has now expired, with Kyrgios free to now try his luck on court – though that possibility seems rather remote.

A report from the anti-doping body spelled out the verdict.”During an interview with ITIA investigators, the player explained that his use of cocaine had occurred socially during a night out before he was due to play in Mallorca.

“The ITIA consulted an independent scientific expert at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory, who stated that the explanation was consistent with the level of cocaine found in his sample.

As a result, the ITIA accepted that Kyrgios’ use of cocaine was outside of competition.”