Tennis star Sharapova tests positive to drug
Maria Sharapova / AP-Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has failed a drug test and faces a penalty from the International Tennis Federation.
The five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 tested positive to Meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking since 2006, according to AFP. The World Anti-Doping Agency only added the drug to the banned list this year.
The ITF reportedly confirmed that Sharapova had tested positive on Jan. 26, during the Australian Open, and had accepted the finding when notified on Mar. 2. The ITF said she will be provisionally suspended from Mar. 12, pending a final ruling.
Sharapova said at a press conference at a hotel in Los Angeles, Monday, she had “made a huge mistake” and had “let her fans and her sport down.”
“I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way ― and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game,” she said.
Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian Tennis Federation, reportedly said he believed Sharapova would still have a chance to play at the Rio Olympics in August.