Former world number one Maria Sharapova, 28, revealed today March 7th
that she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. The five-time Grand
Slam champion tested positive for meldonium, a substance she says she
has been taking since 2006 for health issues.
"I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it. For
the past 10 years I have been given a medicine called mildronate by my
family doctor and a few days ago after I received a letter from the ITF
[International Tennis Federation] I found out it also has another name
of meldonium, which I did not know."
"It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this
medicine was not on Wada's banned list and I had been legally taking
that medicine for the past 10 years. But on 1 January the rules had
changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance, which I had not
known. I received an email on 22 December from Wada about the changes
happening to the banned list and you can see prohibited items - and I
didn't click on that link."
"I made a huge mistake. I have let my fans down, and let
the sport down that I have been playing since the age of four that I
love so deeply.
"I know that with this I face consequences and I
don't want to end my career this way. I really hope to be given another
chance to play this game."
"I know many of you thought that I would be retiring today
but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would not be in a
downtown Los Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet," she said.
The Russian beauty was charged on March 2nd. She is officially suspended pending further action.
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