Nick Kyrgios tested positive for a metabolite of c*caine in a sample taken at the Mallorca Championships, an ATP 250 grass event, on June 22, after losing his first-round match to fellow Australian Adam Walton. The news became public in August, when he was provisionally suspended from August 4. Kyrgios responded quickly, posting a statement that said he had “made a huge mistake” and taking full responsibility.

The Australian has found his way back to the court. The 31-year-old has confirmed that he will play the 2027 Kooyong Classic in January, his first professional appearance since serving a suspension. The exhibition event takes place at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, in the days before the Australian Open, which starts on January 17, and he will join a field that includes Holger Rune, Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti, Karen Khachanov, Matteo Berrettini, Learner Tien and Arthur Fils.

Kyrgios had been dropped from the event only weeks into the controversy. In August, the organizers announced that he was “no longer part of the confirmed field,” just days after news of his positive test, and it was unclear at the time whether the decision came from the tournament or the player. Now, with the suspension behind him, he is back on the list.

The suspension lasted only one month as the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted his explanation that he had used c*caine “socially during a night out,” saying it was consistent with the level found in his sample. This was significant because the substance was consumed out of competition, suggesting no intention to take advantage of it on the court. Had it been in competition, he could have faced a four-year ban. 

Instead, the default penalty was three months, which was reduced to one after Kyrgios agreed to an ITIA-approved treatment programme. His suspension ended on September 3, and he forfeited the prize money and ranking points from Mallorca. 

He described the incident as a “wake-up call” and said he would “focus on getting myself right”. The ban prevented him from playing, coaching, or attending professional tournaments anywhere in the world. 

How much does he have left in the tank?

The bigger question—physical. Kyrgios, now 31, has barely played for nearly four years. After reaching the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, he has dealt with knee, foot and wrist injuries, with the knee and wrist both needing surgery. He only competed in four tournaments in 2025: Brisbane, the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami, with a 1-4 record before ending his season in March. He has played only three tournaments in each of the past two years. 

His 2026 has been just as sparse. He started the year by beating Aryna Sabalenka in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition in Dubai in December and returned to singles in Brisbane, where he lost to Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round. After missing five months, he appeared in Stuttgart and Mallorca, playing only four singles matches before the suspension. 

His ranking has slipped to around No. 900, a long way from his career high of No. 13 in 2016. He last won a singles title at the 2022 Washington Open, the same year as his Wimbledon finalist run. 

His own words have been doing little to dampen the retirement discussion. He has said he is “getting to the end” of his career and “can’t do another surgery where you’re out for another six to nine months.” 

At Wimbledon this year, after a doubles loss alongside Alexander Bublik, he said he was “pretty confident” it was his last Wimbledon. In January, he described himself as a “chaotic mess” throughout his career and said his goal now is simply to enjoy it and put on a show.

Perhaps. Kooyong is an exhibition – no ranking points, no pressure, a logical first step back. The timing is hard to ignore, as it comes just before the Australian Open, where Kyrgios has always said he wants to play one more time.