Maria Sharapova’s lawyer has blasted WADA chief Craig Reedie for making remarks about the five-time grand slam champion at a conference in London the other day and said the Russian tennis player was owed an apology.
The criticism came in a statement by Sharapova’s management company, IMG, after Reedie commented at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) conference on her, who is serving a two-year ban after testing positive for the prohibited substance meldonium.
“For me the only satisfactory element in Madame Sharapova’s case was that in one year she can earn more money than the whole of WADA’s budget put together,” Reedie clarified.
Reedie made his comments relating to Sharapova as he was making a call for more governments and TV broadcasters to pitch in extra money to WADA’s campaign for clean sport.
Sharapova’s lawyer, John Haggerty, took exception to Reedie’s comments, which he called unprofessional.
“Justice, whether in the eyes of WADA or a court, must be blind, including being blind to a player’s earnings,” Haggerty said.
“Mr Reedie owes an apology to Maria and to all successful tennis players unless he wants fans to think WADA has different standards for players depending on their ranking and earnings.”
WADA told sources that Reedie’s comments at WADA’s annual Media Symposium were made in the context of a debate on further funding for clean sport and drew comparisons between WADA’s annual budget and earning of various sportsmen and women.