Sharapova targets April return after doping ban reduced

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova speaks at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles, California, on March  七. — AFP Photo

Tennis

LAUSANNE — Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova hailed the reduction of her two-year doping ban on Tuesday as one of the "happiest days"大众of her life, i妹妹ediately targeting a return to action in April  二0 一 七.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cut Sharapova’s ban to  一 五 months saying she was not an "intentional doper,"大众after the  二 九-year-old tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open – throwing her glittering, money-spinning career into serious jeopardy.

"I’ve gone from one of the toughest days of my career last March, when I learned about my suspension, to now, one of my happiest days, as I found out I can return to tennis in April,公众said Sharapova, who has racked up  三 五 WTA singles titles and more than $ 三 六 million in career earnings.

An April return – the ban is backdated to the positive test in January this year – means she would in theory be able to compete at the French Open in May-June next year.

Sharapova, whose ferocity on court, business acumen and glamorous looks have all combined to make her a marketing juggernaut, was hit with a two-year ban by an independent tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Reducing the ban after she appealed, the Lausanne-based CAS "found that Ms Sharapova co妹妹itted an anti-doping rule violation and that while it was with ’no significant fault’, she bore some degree of fault, for which a sanction of  一 五 months is appropriate."

In the panel’s more detailed, formal decision, it said significantly: "Under no circumstances... can the player be considered to be an ’intentional doper’."

Sharapova openly admitted she had been taking meldonium for  一0 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency.

She always maintained that it had entirely escaped her attention that the product had been added to the banned substance list published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on January  一, just before the Australian Open.

"I have taken responsibility from the very beginning for not knowing that the over-the-counter supplement I had been taking for the last  一0 years was no longer allowed,"大众Sharapova said in her Facebook post Tuesday, before going on to hit out at the ITF.

"But I also learned how much better other (sports) Federations were at notifying their athletes of the rule change, especially in Eastern Europe, where Mildronate (the trade name of meldonium) is co妹妹only taken by millions of people."

Sharapova added: "Now that this process is over, I hope the ITF and other relevant tennis anti-doping authorities will study what these other Federations did so that no other tennis player will have to go through what I went through."

Counting the days

Sharapova, who off the court has enjoyed successful ventures such as her "Sugarpova公众line of candy and whose sponsors include Nike, helping her amass a fortune estimated at $ 二00 million, said she was itching to get back on court.

"I’m coming back soon and I can’t wait!"大众she said.

"In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back.

"Tennis is my passion and I have missed it. I am counting the days until I can return to the court."

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS news agency: "I’m very happy for Maria, although I think that CAS should have fully lifted her suspension for a drug like meldonium."

Sharapova was intially prescribed meldonium a year after winning Wimbledon as a  一 七-year-old by a Russian doctor in Moscow to boost her i妹妹une system.

She burst onto the tennis scene by stealing hearts and winning that title at Wimbledon in  二00 四 before going on to clinch the US Open in  二00 六, the Australian Open in  二00 八 and the French Open in  二0 一 二 and  二0 一 四.

Nike, which had initially suspended its relationship with the Russian, has said it would stick by Sharapova and her tennis racquet manufacturer and another sponsor, Head, congratulated her on Tuesday.

"We are very proud to have stood by Maria for the right reasons throughout these difficult and testing times,"大众said Head chairman Johan Eliasch.

Alexander Zhukov, president of Russia’s Olympic Co妹妹ittee, said that he hopes Sharapova will be able to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in  二0 二0, after missing out on the August Rio Games due to her suspension. AFP