Maria Sharapova failed drug test at Australian Open
Posted Mar 7, 2016 3:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
When word came out that Maria Sharapova was holding a media availability Monday, social media buzzed that the five-time Grand Slam winner was going to retire from tennis.
However, she had different news to share: the 28-year-old admitted she failed a drug test at January’s Australian Open.
She said the substance she tested positive for is called meldonium. It’s something she’s been taking for over a decade and became a banned substance just this year.
“I was given this medicine from my doctor for several health issues that I was having back in 2006,” she explained from a news conference in Los Angeles.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the drug improves the users’ mood and allows them to become more active. It is also used to treat brain circulation disorders.
Sharapova admitted that she made a mistake.
“I’ve let my fans down,” she said. “I’ve let this sport down, that I’ve been playing since the age of four, that I love so deeply”.
Sharapova, currently sidelined with a forearm injury, hasn’t competed since losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The Women’s Tennis Association has not yet announced a penalty.
