At a hearing in London two weeks ago, Maria Sharapova–accompanied by her coach, agent, and former doctor–testified about her use of Meldonium, a heart drug banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as of January 1, 2016. On Wednesday, a three-person independent tribunal slapped a two-year suspension on the Russian tennis star, barring her from competition until January 2018, two full years after she initially tested positive for the drug at the 2016 Australian Open, just days after Meldonium was reclassified as an S4 drug–a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator–by WADA.

The 29-year-old, a five-time Grand Slam winner and the world’s highest earning female athlete, has been taking Meldonium for ten years. It is only available in Latvia, Russia, Georgia and a few other eastern European countries and has not been approved by the FDA. Meldonium improves blood flow and aerobic activity, and hundreds of athletes–many Russian–have turned to it to enhance performance. Sharapova cited health concerns and nutrient deficiency in her decade-long use of the substance.

Sharapova claims she continued using Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, after it was reclassified as prohibited because she was unaware of its new classification. She admitted to using the drug however, which may have contributed to a two-year ban instead of the max four-year sentence. The tribunal–made up of two doctors and a WADA lawyer–recognized her unintentional breach of Meldonium’s new prohibited status, but also acknowledged her actions “knowingly and manifestly disregarded the risk of contravening the anti-doping rules.”

According to the tribunal’s investigation, Sharapova began using Meldomium in 2006, when a doctor in Moscow prescribed her the pills as part of a regimen to address, in the words of that doctor, the “correction of functional reserves.” In detailed messages to Sharapova in 2006, Dr. Skalny, her former doctor, wrote: “During games of special importance, you can increase your Meldonium dose to 3-4 pills (1 hr before the match). However, it is necessary to consult me on all these matters (please call).”

On her Facebook page, Sharapova announced her intentions to appeal the tribunal’s decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport:

While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension. The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years.

“I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that’s why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible,” she added.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Maria Sharapova’s spot as the highest paid female athlete in the world is in jeopardy after the tennis star tested positive for a recently banned substance at January’s Australian Open.

Sharapova admitted to failing the drug test at a press conference Monday. As a result, the International Tennis Federation will be provisionally suspending Sharapova effective March 12, pending determination of the case.

During the conference, Sharapova said that she had been taking the drug for the past 10 years legally, but was unaware when she took her drug test that it had been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances on January 1. Sharapova said she takes “full responsibility” for failing the test.

Still many are wondering if the positive results are indicative of intentional foul play, or perhaps just an honest mistake. The substance had only been banned for a week when Sharapova failed her test, and so far several other athletes have tested positive for it as well.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this obscure drug, here’s what you need to know:

What is Meldonium?

Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, is a drug that has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but is available in Russia. It was created to help patients suffering from heart conditions, but there has been a rise in athletes, especially in Europe and Russia, taking the drug to enhance performance because it also aids oxygen uptake and endurance.

Why was she taking it?

Sharapova claims that she was prescribed the drug by her family physician in 2006 after suffering from a variety of health issues including signs of diabetes and irregular electrocardiography (EKG) test results.

However, according to ESPN, the Latvian company responsible for making the drug says the normal course of treatment for the drug is four to six weeks–not 10 years.

Wasn’t she notified that it was banned?

Sharapova said that she received an email in December notifying her that the drug’s status was changing, but she failed to read the information in time for the Australian Open.

So what’s next for Sharapova?

As a first-time offender, she could face a four-year ban for failing the test. If she is able to prove that she didn’t intentionally violate the doping regulations she could likely have the suspension reduced to two years.

Still the blowback will reach her off the tennis court as well.

Since news of the scandal broke, a slew of Sharapova’s endorsements have begun to “suspend ties” with her, including Nike, Porsche, and watchmaker TAG Heur. Spokespersons from all three companies released statements indicating that they would be monitoring developments in the case, but there was no indication of whether or not they planned to resume business with her in the future.

The combined loss of these deals will most likely mean a drastic pay cut for the athlete; her net worth is estimated at $195 million.

Former adversary and current World No. 1 ranked female tennis player Serena Williams came to Sharapova’s defense after facing questions at a news conference on Tuesday. Williams said she “showed a lot of courage” adding,

I think most people were happy she was upfront and very honest and showed a lot of courage to admit to what she had done and what she had neglected to look at in terms of the list at the end of the year…It’s just taking responsibility, which she admitted that she was willing to do and ready to do…Just hope for the best for everybody in that situation.

Watch the video of her announcement below.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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