Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open please log in to view this image Maria Sharapova was speaking at a news conference in Los Angeles Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. The Russian, 28, tested positive for meldonium, a substance she has been taking since 2006 for health issues. Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, said she was not yet aware of the sanctions she will face. "I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it," said Sharapova, who won the Wimbledon title as a 17-year-old in 2004. "For the past 10 years I have been taking a medicine called mildronate by my doctor, my family doctor, and a few days ago after I received the letter from the ITF [International Tennis Federation] I found out it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know. "It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this medicine was not on Wada's [World Anti-Doping Agency] banned list and I had been legally taking that medicine for the past 10 years. "But on 1 January the rules had changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance, which I had not known." She added: "I received an email on 22 December from Wada about the changes happening to the banned list and you can see prohibited items, and I didn't click on that link." Sharapova is ranked seventh in the world but has played just four tournaments since Wimbledon last July as she has struggled with an arm injury. Her most recent match was a defeat by Serena Williams at the Australian Open in January, but Sharapova, who turns 29 in April, hopes to be able to return to tennis in the future. "I made a huge mistake," she said. "I have let my fans down, and let the sport down that I have been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply. "I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope to be given another chance to play this game." There had been speculation Sharapova was going to announce her retirement and a large media contingent gathered for the Los Angeles news conference, which was streamed live online. "I know many of you thought that I would be retiring today but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would not be in a downtown Los Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet," she said. She's my favourite female tennis player so I'm a bit gutted. Surely someone in her camp should've told her the medication she'd been taking for 10 years was set to be banned in 2016?
Yes - I feel some sympathy for her, but when someone is as famous and successful as her she's sure to have people who are responsible for this sort of thing. Someone in her entourage has screwed up.
She has loads of business interests outside of tennis. I'm sure she'll keep her self busy. http://www.sugarpova.com/international-shipping/?referer=http://www.sugarpova.com/ A premium range of confectionery for one.
Stanley, forgive me but if I start a conversation with someone from their profile, can anyone else read it?
It's going to cost her a few bob, she's been suspended by her biggest sponsor Nike and has been dropped completely by TAG Heuer.
Interesting that she's been taking a heart drug for 10 years that's not approved in the USA where she has lived throughout her career, and when none knew she had such heart condition. Oh, and she didn't know the name of the underlying substance she was taking for said heart condition. No sympathy for her.
From what I've read the 'illegal' substance she has been taken was only declared 'illegal' from January 1st this year so doesn't that mean she has done nothing wrong until this year and even then inadvertently. She has passed every drug test with flying colours until the one for the Australian Open where she was found to be 'still taking' this drug that (apparently unknown to her) had been declared 'illegal'. I can't see how Nike could pull her sponsorship on these grounds nor could she be stripped of her titles especially when there is NO PROOF WHATSOEVER that this is a 'performance enhancing' drug but perhaps I'm missing something.
That's a good point. Also, what if there is also no alternative medication for her underlying heart condition? I do think sometimes common sense needs to be applied.
