Maria Sharapova, the 29-year-old Russian and richest athlete in the history of women’s sport has received a two year ban from the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug (meldonium). She was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium during the Australian Open in January 2016. The International Tennis Federation announced the ban on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 and it begins from January 26 (was back-dated from the day the Russian failed the meldonium test after being defeated by Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open).
Maria Sharapova said that she has been taking meldonium since 2006 for health problems and that she did not know that the drug is among the banned substances on January 1, 2016. She also stated that she will challenge the tribunal’s ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against her. Nike which suspended its relationship with Maria Sharapova in January has said recently that it will continue to partner with Sharapova based on the tribunal’s findings.
Source: Viewers Corner News.