Maria Sharapova, the world’s highest-paid tennis player, had just announced that she had unfortunately failed a drug test. She tested positive for a banned drug – meldonium.
It was January 26th when she was confirmed of the positive test for the drug. It was the same day Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. She will be suspended provisionally pending a ruling in the case.
Sharapova isn’t alone in this matter as several other athletes have also tested positive for the drug since it was placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list this year after being on its Monitoring List in 2015. Athletes like Abeba Aregawi alongside Swedish runner, Ekaterina Bobrova, who is a Russian ice dancer, have also been tested positive for meldonium.
She further elaborated on the matter in the short video footage below:
As an alternative, Sharapova can apply for a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE). A TUE allows a player to use a banned substance, without committing an anti-doping rule violation, if they have a medical condition that requires it. Sharapova’s lawyer Haggerty added that she has waived the testing of a B sample.
Nevertheless, she has shown her dedication towards her career and is willing to take full responsibility for the incident. We hope she will succeed in future plans for her career.
