Nick Kyrgios said the high-profile doping cases involving Grand Slam winners Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were “disgusting” for the tennis world.
Sinner, the Italian men’s world number one, faces the threat of suspension after testing positive for anabolic steroids twice in March.
Swiatek, also 23, was suspended for a month after testing positive for a banned heart drug in August when Paul was the women’s world number one.
“I think it’s been handled terribly in our sport,” said Kyrgios, a 29-year-old Australian.
“It is disgusting for our sport that two world number one athletes are both being punished for doping.
“You look terrible.”
Kyrgios is preparing to return to competition at the Brisbane International after missing 18 months through injury since taking part in the Stuttgart Open in June 2023.
Meanwhile, major players in the sport, in both the men’s and women’s games, have been embroiled in controversy over their respective test failures.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner of wrongdoing after testing positive for Clostebol twice, but the case was sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) launched an appeal. It has been moved.
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban, which ended on December 4, after ITIA approved a positive test for trimetazidine (TMZ) due to contamination with melatonin, a regulated non-prescription drug.
The treatment of these two players has led to accusations of double standards, with two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep saying there was a “completely different approach” to these cases compared to her own.
However, ITIA strongly declines to handle these cases any differently.
“Everyone knows the integrity of tennis now, but no one wants to talk about it,” Kyrgios said.
“It’s okay. I know people don’t like me just being honest.”
In addition to making his singles comeback against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Kyrgios will partner Novak Djokovic in the men’s doubles event as he seeks his 100th tour-level title in Brisbane.
