Sharapova Posts Letter Thanking Fans for Support

Maria Sharapova wrote a letter to her fans thanking them for their "support and loyalty" and "wonderful words" as she deals with the fallout from her positive drug test.
"I woke up yesterday morning with an inbox, in full capacity of love and compassion," Sharapova said to open the letter, which was posted on her personal website.
Her letter went on to explain that while she typically loves mornings, "it is fair to say that this day was not average. Nothing came to mind at 6am except that I am determined to play tennis again and I hope I will have the chance to do so. I wish I didn't have to go through this, but I do - and I will."
Sharapova, 28, announced at a Monday news conference in Los Angeles that she had failed a doping test at the Australian Open in January for meldonium, which became a banned substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency code this year. Meldonium is a blood-flow-promoting heart medicine that was banned because it helps oxygen uptake and endurance.
Sharapova said she had taken meldonium for a decade following various health problems, including regular sicknesses, early signs of diabetes and "irregular" results from echocardiography exams.
Fellow WTA Tour member Agnieszka Radwanska called it a mistake, but said she could understand how it happened.
"I'm scared because I know every pill can have something [prohibited] in it," Radwanska said Wednesday during a player roundtable at Indian Wells. "So when I'm sick I'm just taking aspirin because I'm always afraid there's going to be something else in it [medication]."
"It is difficult to imagine that something like this can happen, but mistakes are there and everyone can make mistakes," Rafael Nadal said. "I want to believe for sure it was a mistake for Maria, that she didn't want to do it, but it is a result of negligence. But the rules are like this, and it's fair, and now she must pay for it."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russia's Ren TV on Thursday that the drug never should have been banned.
Lavrov said it was "a very strange decision, according to expert opinion", echoing comments made by the drug's inventor.
"In recent days there has been no limit at all to comments from specialists, including the inventor of this substance,'' Lavrov said. "They clearly and professionally explain that it isn't doping at all but a normal method for supporting the body and its basic functions.''
Lawyer Howard Jacobs told ESPN on Thursday that he has agreed to work with Sharapova.
"Because Maria has courageously stepped forward, our work will focus on the circumstances that led her to take this drug," Jacobs told ESPN. "Most cases wind up being about inadvertent positives, and this definitely fits that category."
Jacobs also said Sharapova's position is she received the same form letter over the past 10 years, informing her that a new banned drugs list was available but not personalizing it in any way or telling her she should be aware of changes.
"If you get the same email for 10 years, you're going to stop checking it," Jacobs said.
In the aftermath of her announcement, three of Sharapova's major sponsors have backed off deals with her: sportswear giant Nike, Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer and German luxury car company Porsche.
In her letter, Sharapova mentioned being followed by paparazzi and not going online much, "except the odd search for a new antique coffee table." She said her friends made a collage of all the "beautiful messages" from fans, along with their hashtags #IStandWithMaria and #LetMariaPlay.
"In this moment, I am so proud to call you my fans," her letter said. "Within hours of my announcement, you showed me support and loyalty, which I could only expect to hear when someone would be at the top of their profession."
Sharapova, who has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation until the investigation is finalized, concluded her letter by saying she would "like to play again and [hopes] to have the chance to do so."
"The good thing is she has acknowledged what happened, and she's facing it," Garbine Muguruza said Wednesday. "I guess that's a good thing she is doing, and we'll see how it goes."
A five-time Grand Slam winner, Sharapova is currently the No. 7-ranked player in the world.

Source: ESPN

Rafael Nadal Insists He is Clean From Drugs

Rafael Nadal has spoken out today against the allegations made against him in the light of Maria Sharapova's admission that she failed a drugs test. Nadal also said that although Sharapova's situation is unfortunate, she must pay for her mistake.
“I really don’t know anything about the doping and I am a completely clean guy. I worked so much during my whole career and when I get injured, I get injured. I never take anything to get back quicker. I believe in the sport and in the values of the sport," said Nadal.
“The good news about all of this is that we have a good anti-doping programme that the players who are not doing the right thing are going on trial. So we will see how it goes.”

Source: vavel.com

Wozniacki Discusses Sharapova's Failed Drug Test

After the shock news of Maria Sharapova's failed drug test rocked the tennis world yesterday, Caroline Wozniacki was asked about the failed test by the Russian.
"I think any time we take any medication, we double- and triple- and quadruple-check, because sometimes even things like cough drops and nasal sprays can be on the [banned] list," Wozniacki said Tuesday at a press conference ahead of her Madison Square Garden match with Serena Williams. "As athletes we really always make sure there's nothing in it that is prohibited." 

Nike Suspends Contract with Sharapova Over Drugs Test

Nike has suspended its relationship with Maria Sharapova after the five-time Grand Slam tennis champion admitted failing a drug test.

Also, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer cut its ties with the tennis star.
Nike said it was "saddened and surprised" at her admission that she tested positive for a banned substance at the Australian Open in January.
Ms Sharapova said she had been taking meldonium since 2006, on the advice of her family doctor.
Her relationship with Nike dates back to when she was 11 years old.
"We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues," Nike said.
"We will continue to monitor the situation."
In 2010, the 28-year-old Russian tennis player signed a new eight-year contract with the US sportswear giant worth $70m (£49m) as well as a cut on sales of her own branded clothes.

Source: BBC

Maria Sharapova Flunked Drug Test at Australian Open

Maria Sharapova announced Monday that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January.
She said she received a letter March 2 from the International Tennis Federation but has not yet found out what her penalty will be. The ITF confirmed the failed drug test and said Sharapova would be provisionally suspended until the case is finalized.

"I take great responsibility and professionalism in my career every day," Sharapova said. "I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down."

Sharapova's lawyer, John Haggerty, described the range of penalties to ESPN's Jim Caple.

"When someone intentionally takes banned substance for performance-enhancing purposes, there is a four-year ban," he said. "If it is not done intentionally, the top end of the ban is two years. If there are mitigating circumstances -- as I strongly believe there are here -- there can be an even greater reduction, including eliminating sanctions.''

Sharapova, 28, said she had been taking the drug mildronate, also known as meldonium, for 10 years to address a number of health issues, including low magnesium levels. Meldonium is a blood flow-promoting drug banned because it aids oxygen uptake and endurance.

Sharapova said she had been getting the flu every couple months, had irregular EKGs and had evidence of diabetes, which runs in her family. She said she did not realize that mildronate and meldonium are the same drug and she was not aware when rules changed Jan. 1 to make the drug illegal. She said that when WADA sent an email about changes to the banned list in December, she did not click on the link to see that the substance had been added to the list.

"I know with this that I face consequences," Sharapova said. "I don't want to end my career this way, and I really hope I'm given another chance to play this game."

Jeopardizing her sponsorships stands as one of thoseconsequences. On Monday night, Nike became her first sponsor to suspend their relationship.

"We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova," Nike said in a statement. "We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation."

Sharapova extended her Nike deal in 2010. The eight-year pact was reportedly worth as much as $70 million, including royalties.

Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer said early Tuesday morning that it was ending its relationship with Sharapova.

"Maria Sharapova was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31th, 2015. We had been in talks to extend our collaboration. In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negociations, and has decided not to renew the contract with Mrs. Sharapova," the company said in a statement.

Sharapova had partnered with the brand since 2004.

Meldonium is manufactured in Latvia. It is used in Lithuania and the Russian Federation but is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A number of athletes have tested positive for the drug since Jan. 1: Abeba Aregawi (Ethiopian-born, Swedish nationality, 1,500-meter world champion), Eduard Vorganov (Russian cyclist), EndeShaw Negesse (Ethiopian marathoner), Ekaterina Bobrova (Russian ice dancer) and Olga Abramova (Ukranian biathlete).

Sharapova addressed rampant speculation that she was going to announce her retirement.

"If I was going to announce my retirement, it wouldn't be in a downtown Los Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet," she said.

Sharapova said she tested positive in an in-competition test at the Australian Open, where she lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals on Jan. 26. Sharapova hasn't played since, as she is recovering from a left forearm injury.

Haggerty tried to explain how Sharapova could be unaware that she was taking a banned substance.

"She is very organized, and she takes her career very seriously, which is why when she first started to take this back in 2006, she made sure it was approved, that it wasn't on the banned list and checked in future years," Haggerty said. "It was just an honest mistake. We're not making excuses, but because she had taken it for so many years and it was OK year after year, it just fell off the radar."

Haggerty said meldonium was banned because "it does appear that some athletes have used it in some circumstance in bigger dosages to gain some competitive advantage. Maria was taking a dosage that was significantly lower.''

Haggerty said that when Sharapova received the letter from the ITF, she was "shocked, completely stunned. She takes great pride in her integrity and the way she has approached the game all these years. She was surprised but immediately wanted to come forward and take full responsibility and acknowledge what happened.''

Sharapova has 35 career singles titles and more than $36 million in career earnings. She is currently No. 7 in the WTA rankings, after playing just three tournaments and the Fed Cup final in the past eight months due to injuries. She dropped out of the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Thursday, citing injury.

Sharapova is thought to be the world's highest paid female athlete, due to her extensive business ventures and endorsement deals. Forbes estimated her earnings at $29.5 million for 2015, with $23 million from off-the-court ventures.

Sharapova has been among the best players of her generation since she burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old Wimbledon champion in 2004, when she beat Williams in the final. She won the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008 before completing her career Grand Slam with French Open titles in 2012 and 2014.

She became the world's top-ranked player in August 2005 and has held the ranking five times for 21 weeks in her career. Although she is nowhere close to matching Williams' 21 Grand Slam titles, her five Grand Slam titles rank behind those of only Serena and Venus Williams among active players.

Sharapova was born in Russia and lived briefly in southern Sochi before moving to Florida as a child to begin her tennis career. She lives primarily in the Los Angeles area now.

Source: ESPN

Sharapova out of Indian Wells

Two-time BNP Paribas Open champion Maria Sharapova announced her withdrawal due to an ongoing left forearm injury.
Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova announced that she would be unable to participate in the upcoming BNP Paribas Open due to an ongoing left forearm injury that saw her miss the Middle East Swing.
"I am extremely disappointed that I am unable to compete in this year's BNP Paribas Open," she said. "I have been focused on healing my left forearm injury and tried to get my body to be 100% ready to play this event, as it is one of my favorites on the WTA and so close to my home in LA. I know the tournament will be a great success this year and I will be anxious to return next year and hopefully many years after."
A two-time winner in Indian Wells (2006, 2013), Sharapova pulled out of the Brisbane International to start the season due to pain in her left forearm, and though she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the Russian has not played a match since.
With her withdrawal, Mariana Duque-Mariño moves into the main draw.

Source: WTA Tennis