Nick Kyrgios reignites Jannik Sinner rivalry after top-seeded player banned for doping - 'Tennis is cooked'
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Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has launched a scathing attack on the sport, labelling it "cooked" following world No 2 Iga Swiatek's one-month doping ban.
The outspoken 29-year-old took to social media platform X on Friday to voice his frustration at the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) ruling.
Responding to fellow tennis professional Benjamin Lock's post about the suspension, Kyrgios declared "our sport is cooked" in what became a series of increasingly critical posts.
Swiatek, the reigning French Open champion, tested positive for performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine in August and received a provisional suspension in September.
Nick Kyrgios has declared that tennis 'is cooked'
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The Polish star initially cited "personal reasons" for her tournament absences during this period.
The ITIA accepted Swiatek's explanation that her failed drugs test was caused by contaminated non-prescription melatonin, which she took for jet lag and sleep issues.
The authority deemed her level of fault was at the lowest end of the range for "no significant fault or negligence."
Kyrgios doubled down on his criticism with a pointed attack on the doping process.
"The excuse that we can all use is that we didn't know. Simply didn't know. Professionals at the highest level of sport can now just say 'we didn't know'," he posted on X.
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His frustration extended to reposting provocative comments, including one that sarcastically referenced "Cows. Tortellini. Semen. Collagen. Skin spray. Sleeping pills" suggesting tennis players were "among the unluckiest people on Earth."
Kyrgios's criticism also reignited his ongoing rivalry with Jannik Sinner, the Italian tennis star who escaped a ban after failing two anti-doping tests.
In August, Kyrgios called it "ridiculous" that Sinner avoided punishment, stating: "You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance... you should be gone for 2 years."
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Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance
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An investigation found Sinner had a miniscule amount of clostebol in his system from a massage cream, equivalent to less than a billionth of a gram.
The dispute escalated when Kyrgios challenged a Sinner fan page about what "prohibited at all times" means in doping regulations.
The recent doping cases in tennis have highlighted inconsistencies in how violations are handled, with Simona Halep's case providing a stark contrast to Swiatek's.
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Nick Kyrgios has reignited his row with Jannik Sinner
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Halep faced a four-year suspension, which was later reduced to nine months after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The varying punishments have sparked debate within the tennis community, with players like Denis Shapovalov also questioning the one-month ban given to Swiatek.
Having already served 22 days, Swiatek will complete her remaining eight-day suspension when no matches are scheduled.
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