'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM5rCoP/xAAhEAACAQMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABBIFBhQREyExQf/aAAgBAQABPwDTNRTkvyLSKSK2cKkQYhcXZVYeevsgGl3Le4jGO1C/B2RX/8QAGxEAAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQiUbH/2gAIAQIBAT8AvAMkx0OL/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQR/9oACAEDAQE/AMiiwcaf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nick Kyrgios has given his opinion on fellow Aussie Max Purcell receiving an 18-month doping suspension over the "Use of a Prohibited Method". The former World No. 13, who has been a staunch critic of doping in tennis since Jannik Sinner's case last March, appeared dismayed by the fate suffered by the two-time doubles Major champion.
Purcell hasn't competed on the men's pro tour since last year's ATP Finals, where he teamed up with Jordan Thompson to reach the semifinals. The 27-year-old had enjoyed considerable success in the last two years, reaching a career-high ranking of 40 in singles and 8 in doubles.
On Tuesday (April 29), ITIA came out with a statement detailing how Max Purcell had taken multiple IV infusions of vitamins at an estimated 500ml in December 2023. According to the anti-doping outfit, the 2024 US Open champion had been caught after relevant evidence was found in a WhatsApp conversation he had with a fellow ATP pro. Since WADA doesn't allow IV infusions of a quantity of more than 100ml, Purcell was handed an 18-month doping ban and will not be allowed to play competitively until June 2026.
Trending
Against that background, Nick Kyrgios expressed his disappointment at the above incident with a post on Instagram stories later on Tuesday. He reposted Fox Sports' report of his compatriot's ban with a rather damning caption.
"Sad sad sad stuff," Nick Kyrgios wrote on his Instagram stories on Tuesday.
Purcell, meanwhile, had been provisionally banned in December 2024 and had claimed at the time that he had accepted a "voluntary suspension" from ITIA. However, if the anti-doping agency's statement is to be believed, it sent him "a notice of a potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV)" before he copped to have taken the IV infusions that were above the permissible limit of 100ml.
Nick Kyrgios has also criticized Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek for their failed doping tests
Nick Kyrgios had previously criticized Jannik Sinner over the latter's failed doping tests at the Indian Wells Masters last March. Last December, the Aussie scoffed at the World No. 1 insisting that he had felt somewhat ostracized in the men's locker room after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol.
While the Italian had proven his innocence as per ITIA, the 29-year-old wasn't buying it as he took shots at his younger peer on X (formerly Twitter).
"Yes. You tested for steroids. Very hard to talk to other people who aren’t," Nick Kyrgios wrote on X in reply to a post discussing Sinner's tour struggles after his failed doping tests.
Kyrgios also directed his ire at Iga Swiatek last year, inferring in one of his replies on X that the Pole wasn't a "clean player".
