Nick Kyrgios’ latest post about the state of tennis was seemingly a reaction to the Max Purcell doping news as the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up stated that tennis is “in the mud at the moment.”
Just days before the start of the new season, the ITIA announced that this year’s US Open doubles champion was handed a provisional suspension over an anti-doping breach.
Later, it was revealed that Purcell – who is ranked at No. 12 in doubles and sits at No. 105 in the singles rankings – voluntarily contacted the ITIA and confessed that received a vitamin infusion that contained more than the allowed limit of 100ml.
Kyrgios, whose position on the Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek doping cases is well-documented, didn’t mention his fellow compatriot by the name but it was pretty clear to what he was referring to in his social media post.
“Gee wiz our sport is in the mud at the moment,” the 29-year-old wrote on X.
Gee wiz our sport is in the mud at the moment
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) December 23, 2024
Purcell defended himself, claims it was caused by the clinic’s negligence
According to the two-time Grand Slam doubles winner, he visited a clinic and made it crystal clear to them that he wasn’t allowed to take a vitamin infusion above 100ml.
Max Purcell© Max Purcell/Instagram – Fair Use
After making his position clear, he felt they would do everything accordingly.
But after he later realized that it wasn’t the case, he reached out to the ITIA and voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension that started on December 12th.
“Until last week when I received medical records from a clinic showing that the amount of an IVI had received was above 100 ml, I was fully convinced that I had done everything to ensure that I had followed the WADA regulations and methods,” Purcell wrote on Instagram.
“But the records show that the IV was over the 100ml limit, even though I told the clinic that I was a professional athlete and needed the IV to be under 100ml.”
The 26-year-old Australian also said he felt “devastated” after the breach.
Tennis World USA