Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years after failing a drug test, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Wednesday.
Sharapova tested positive for the controversial banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open.
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“An Independent Tribunal appointed under Article 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (the “Programme”) has found that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme and as a consequence has disqualified the affected results and imposed a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 26 January 2016,” said a statement on the ITF website.
Maria Sharapova said on Wednesday she will appeal the two-year doping ban handed down to her by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for doping and which threatens to end her career.
“While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension,” Sharapova wrote on her Facebook page.
I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “
Sharapova has 35 WTA singles titles and has won all four of the sport’s grand slam titles.
Her career earnings amount to $36 million while her off-court earnings, according to Forbes, are around $200 million
