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Brilio.net/en - The stunning and impressive tennis player, who has won the Grand Slam five times, has confessed to failing a doping test at the Australian open. Its unfortunate and disheartening news for the highest paid female athlete in the world.
The tennis anti-doping program confirmed the positive test, which occurred Jan. 26, the day Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
The disappointed sighs at the press conference in Los Angeles were almost as bad as the sponsorships that dropped Sharapova. Nike, one of the Russian athletes longtime sponsors, announced in a statement that it was suspending its relationship with her while the investigation continues. Sharapova has her own clothing line with Nike, with whom she signed an eight-year extension in 2010 that could reportedly be worth up to $70 million.
Sharapove tested positive for meldonium, a drug originally developed in Latvia for heart patients that aids blood flow and is not approved for sale in the United States. The drug was put on the World Anti-Doping Agencys banned list this year after being on its Monitoring List in 2015. Sharapova said she was unaware of the change before receiving notification of her positive test Wednesday.
I take full responsibility for it, she said Monday. She went on to express regret at her missing the memo and hopes to play again in the future.
I thought it was very important for me to come out and speak about this in front of all of you, because throughout my long career, I have been very open and honest about many things, said Sharapova. I made a huge mistake, and Ive let my fans down. Ive let this sport down that I have been playing since the age of 4 and that I love so deeply.
She has handled the situation with as much grace as possible, even announcing the failed drug test before she had to.
Sharapova isnt the only one with doping accusations. Abeba Aregawi, a Swedish runner who won the womens 1,500 meters at the 2013 world championship, is also failed the test for the drug this year.
Sharapovas issues with doping doesnt help Russias current scandal with widespread doping accusations of its track and field stars. Its track and field athletes were suspended from international competition in November and may not be reinstated for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
For a first offense, players can be barred for up to four years for intentionally ingesting a performance-enhancing substance. The maximum penalty for unintentionally using a prohibited drug is two years, but Sharapova is hoping that this announcement wont be her last regarding her career. I dont want to end my career this way, she said, and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.
I know many of you thought that I would be retiring today, she said. But if I was ever going to announce my retirement, it would probably not be in a downtown Los Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet.
(brl/tis)
