Nick Kyrgios: Doping Suspension, OnlyFans & Career Crossroads

Nick Kyrgios has always been tennis’s wild card, but his latest chapter is one no one predicted. The 31-year-old Australian is provisionally suspended after testing positive for a cocaine metabolite, and he’s turned to OnlyFans to stay in the spotlight.

Age: 31 (born 27 April 1995) ·
Highest ATP Ranking: World No. 13 ·
Turned Pro: 2013 ·
Grand Slam Finals: 1 (2022 Wimbledon) ·
ATP Titles: 7 ·
Current Status: Provisional suspension (August 2026)

The table below draws six key facts about Kyrgios’s career and suspension from official sources.

What is happening with Nick Kyrgios?

Provisional suspension details

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (the sport’s independent anti-doping body) announced on 19 August 2026 that Kyrgios had been provisionally suspended after a sample collected at the Mallorca ATP 250 on 22 June tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Cocaine is listed as a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. While suspended, Kyrgios is not allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organised by the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, or national associations.

Positive test for cocaine metabolite (June 2026)

The WADA-accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of the substance on 17 July 2026, and the mandatory provisional suspension took effect from 4 August. Kyrgios has the right to appeal the suspension but has not done so to date. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, Kyrgios apologised and called the positive test a “huge mistake”, adding that he would step away from social media and public life for 28 days to focus on “getting himself right”.

The implication: The suspension freezes his tennis income, but his OnlyFans venture — already live — could become a critical financial lifeline during the ban.

Why is Nick Kyrgios on OnlyFans?

Revenue stream during suspension

Kyrgios launched a free-to-access OnlyFans page in December 2023, according to Tennis.com. He promoted it as a place for behind-the-scenes, on-court, and everyday-life content. Yahoo Sports confirmed the page was free to subscribe to, positioning it as a fan engagement tool rather than a paywalled revenue source. However, the platform’s broader model — tipping, pay-per-view messages, and exclusive content — creates potential income independent of tennis earnings.

Content type and reception

OnlyFans’s own blog later listed Kyrgios as a creator and noted that he co-hosted the original competition series “Smash City” in 2025, now streaming free on OFTV, the platform’s non-paywalled streaming arm. The move has drawn mixed reactions, with some fans applauding the transparency and others questioning whether it distracts from his tennis career.

Why this matters: Kyrgios’s OnlyFans pivot predates the suspension, but it now serves as a ready-made alternative revenue stream while his tennis future is uncertain. The question is whether it will become a permanent career shift or a temporary detour.

Will Nick Kyrgios ever play tennis again?

Current ban timeline

The provisional suspension has no fixed end date until a hearing is held. BBC Sport reports that if the drug is proven to have been taken outside of competition, the suspension could be limited to a maximum of three months. If it is deemed in-competition use, the ban could be up to four years. Kyrgios, currently ranked world No. 919, has not yet filed an appeal against the provisional suspension.

Return possibilities after suspension

Kyrgios has expressed a desire to return to tennis, but his injury history — including knee and wrist problems that kept him sidelined for much of 2023 and 2024 — complicates the picture. Sky Sports described him in January 2024 as being at “a crossroads” after time away due to injury. Even if he returns, regaining ranking points and match fitness would be a steep climb from outside the top 900.

The pattern: Kyrgios’s career has always been a stop-start ride of brilliance and disruption. The doping suspension is the most serious off-court obstacle yet, and the clock is ticking: he turns 31 in April 2026, and time away from the tour at this age often signals the end of a career.

Why does Nadal not like Kyrgios?

Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have a famously sour relationship. In a 2024 interview with Sky Sports, Kyrgios admitted he has “no regrets” about the ugly verbal joust with Nadal at Wimbledon 2022 and described their relationship as “sour.” Kyrgios has also said he gets along well with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, contrasting the dynamic with Nadal. The friction is rooted in Kyrgios’s on-court behaviour — underarm serves, verbal outbursts, and a perceived lack of respect for the game — which has long clashed with Nadal’s intense, no-nonsense approach.

The catch: While the Kyrgios-Nadal rivalry made for compelling tennis theatre, it also highlighted the deeper divide in tennis culture between tradition and a new generation of players who challenge the sport’s norms.

For the 31-year-old Australian, the choice is clear: prove the cocaine was used out of competition, or face a ban that would likely end his career. Kyrgios’s OnlyFans side hustle may cushion the financial blow, but tennis — the sport that made him a global name — is on hold. If Kyrgios cannot return to the ATP tour, his legacy will be that of a brilliant but unfinished talent, remembered as much for his noise as for his silence.