"The whole system is cooked": Nick Kyrgios lambasts ITIA for handing 18-month ban to fellow countryman Max Purcell for breaching of doping protocols

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has slammed the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for banning fellow countryman Max Purcell for 18 months. The 27-year-old, who is a two-time Australian Open doubles champion, was handed an 18-month ban for breaking anti-doping regulations.

Purcell admitted to receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml, which led to a breach of the doping protocols. Kyrgios, who is often regarded as one of the most vocal individuals currently involved in professional tennis, lambasted ITIA for handing an 18-month ban to his fellow countryman. He stated that such a punishment for having more vitamins suggested that the ‘system is cooked’.

"So honest feelings about how ridiculous Purcell’s ban is? Vitamins? Can we justify this? Or can we just admit now that the whole system is cooked," wrote Kyrgios in a post on his official account on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter.

This is not the first time Kyrgios has lambasted authorities for dealing with doping cases. He was one of the most vocal players when the reigning world number one, Italy’s Jannik Sinner, managed to escape any ban despite testing positive in two doping tests in March last year for the banned substance clostebol.

In the early stages, the reigning world number one managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because he came in close contact with his physio Naldi who used to spray for the treatment of a cut on his finger.

However, things turned ugly when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the ITIA’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. The matter concluded in February when the two reached an agreement which would see the three-time Grand Slam winner staying out of action for three months. His ban is set to expire at the start of next month, and he will be available to participate in the upcoming Rome Masters.

As soon as that decision was announced, Kyrgios in a social media post, called it a ‘sad day in tennis’. “So Wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” he wrote.