Nick Kyrgios sparks controversy again, in hot water over Andy Roddick doping insinuation

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has landed himself in hot water after responding to a claim that former world number one Andy Roddick might have doped in his career with ‘magic cream’. The 29-year-old is one of the most outspoken players in the world of tennis and has often been involved in controversies as well.

The former world number 13 has recently reposted a comment of a user on social media who stated that the former American tennis star must have been involved in doping himself which is why he has defended the men’s world number one Jannik Sinner and women’s world number two Iga Swiatek despite them being involved in doping scandals. He laughed it off with the original tweet now deleted saying 'Hahaha most likely'.

Italy’s Sinner has been involved in a doping scandal. He tested positive for banned substance clostebol in March in two doping tests. Interestingly, he managed to escape the ban after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the player’s counsel response where they claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving a cream for the treatment of an injury from one member of the coaching staff. On the other hand, women’s world number two Swiatek received a one-month suspension after being tested positive for the angina drug trimetazidine.

Both decisions received widespread criticism from some quarters of the tennis community, who called for equal treatment of all players involved in such scandals. On the other hand, both players received some support from the tennis community as well, where some big-name players, including Roddick, stated that both deserved a chance for redemption, especially after having minimal quantity in their sample. Another player who come to the defence of the two elite players is former English player Mark Petchey, who criticised Kyrgios as well.

"Nick is fed up,” he said. “He must cut it out: Sinner has been found innocent, or am I wrong? In a few weeks the WADA appeal will be examined and we simply have to wait for the process to take its course. It is a very serious matter, which must be treated with kid gloves, with care and with seriousness, because the career of a colleague is at stake.”