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Former world No.1 tennis player Maria Sharapova has announced that she failed a drugs test in January at the Australian Open.
The test – conducted on January 26, following Sharapova’s quarter-final loss to Serena Williams – relates to a medication called Meldonium, which Sharapova has taken throughout her career, but was made illegal under WADA rules updated for 2016.
According to Sharapova, the medication, also known as mildronate, was to treat flu-like symptoms which had dogged her for years.
WADA informed Sharapova of the drug’s addition to the banned list via email in December 2015, but she told reporters that she did not read the correspondence.
“I’ve let my fans down, I’ve let the sport down,” she said.
“I don’t want to end my career this way. I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.”
The Russian said she “was getting the flu every couple of months” in 2006, which led to her first being prescribed the drug.
In response, the International Tennis Federation announced that Sharapova has been given a provisional 12-month ban, starting on March 12:
Following the statement made by Maria Sharapova in a press conference today, the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) can confirm the following:
– On 26 January 2016, Ms Sharapova provided an anti-doping sample to the TADP in association with her participation in the 2016 Australian Open.
– That sample was analysed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory, which returned a positive for meldonium, which is a prohibited substance under the WADA Code and, therefore also the TADP.
– In accordance with Article 8.1.1 of the TADP, Ms Sharapova was charged on 2 March with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
– Ms Sharapova has accepted the finding of meldonium in her sample collected on 26 January.
– As meldonium is a non-specified substance under the WADA (and, therefore, TADP) list of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods, Ms Sharapova will be provisionally suspended with effect from 12 March, pending determination of the case.
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