Biggest Drug Scandals In Sports History

Nick Kyrgios has spent most of his career making headlines, but his latest controversy has nothing to do with an argument with an umpire or one of his infamous on-court meltdowns. The former Wimbledon finalist has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis after testing positive for cocaine at an ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22. The International Tennis Integrity Agency said a WADA-accredited laboratory later detected benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in his sample, and his suspension officially began August 4.

Kyrgios addressed the situation himself, admitting he made a “huge mistake” and apologizing to his family, fans, sponsors and the young people who follow him. The 31-year-old also explained that years of injuries and the realization that his career could be nearing its end have taken a serious physical and mental toll. Kyrgios has not appealed the provisional suspension, while the ultimate length of his punishment could depend on whether officials determine the cocaine was used outside of competition and recreationally rather than for performance enhancement.

The timing has made the story even bigger because Kyrgios has been one of tennis’ loudest critics when other stars have faced doping cases. His previous comments about Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and other players have resurfaced as fans debate whether Kyrgios should be judged by the same unforgiving standard he has applied to others.

Of course, drugs and professional sports have crossed paths long before Kyrgios. Some scandals involved recreational drugs and addiction, while others featured elaborate performance-enhancing drug programs designed specifically to beat the system. From championships being erased to Olympic medals being returned and entire organizations being exposed, here are some of the biggest drug scandals in sports history.

Lance Armstrong & The U.S. Postal Service Doping Program

Few falls from grace in sports compare to Lance Armstrong. The cyclist won seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 through 2005 while becoming one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, only for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to later uncover what it described as a massive and sophisticated doping program involving EPO, testosterone, blood transfusions and other prohibited methods. Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour victories and banned for life before finally admitting in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey that he had doped during each of those wins.