Simona Halep tears into Nick Kyrgios after his positive test. And Jannik Sinner is involved

Simona Halep pulls no punches with Nick Kyrgios and harshly criticizes him after he tested positive for cocaine in a doping test at the ATP tournament in Mallorca. The Australian tennis player had previously leveled severe criticism at athletes who tested positive (including Jannik Sinner), and had been particularly harsh on Halep.

After testing positive for Roxadustat at the 2022 U.S. Open—a result she claimed was due to unintentional ingestion—the Romanian had her suspension reduced from four years to nine months in 2024. This decision had infuriated Kyrgios, who had further attacked her, insulting her.

Now Kyrgios is getting a taste of his own medicine: after testing positive for cocaine, Halep didn’t hold back on social media. “Never kick someone when they’re down. Life has a strange way of reversing roles. And an even stranger way of revealing the difference between an accident and a choice,” the Romanian wrote on Instagram, highlighting the hypocrisy of Jannik Sinner’s biggest critic.

Kyrgios announced his positive test result on social media as follows: “I wanted you to hear it from me first. I recently tested positive for cocaine during a drug test in Mallorca. I made a very serious mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. I apologize to my fans, my family, my sponsor, and everyone close to me. Above all, I apologize to the fans and the young people who look up to me. I am aware of the negative example this behavior sets, and I am deeply disappointed in myself. I don’t want to make excuses, but I want to explain the situation I found myself in.”

“The injuries over the past two years have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body couldn’t do what my mind expected it to, and accepting that my career is nearing its end has been harder than I ever imagined. I’ve always said that I didn’t choose tennis—tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times, I’ve felt helpless and alone.”

“None of this justifies what I’ve done. However, the good news is that this has served as a wake-up call for me. For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life to focus on regaining my balance. I ask that people respect my privacy during this time—and, above all, that of my family. I’m sorry; I’ll work on myself and come back stronger. Nick.”