Maria Sharapova’s doping ban has been reduced to 15 months from the initial two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after an appeal. The five-time Grand Slam winner, 29, was banned in June by the International Tennis Federation after testing positive for meldonium during the Australian Open in January. Meldonium, a heart disease drug also known as mildronate, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.
“I am counting the days until I can return,” 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.”
The Russian, who said she had been taking the drug since 2006 for health problems, appealed against the ban and will be allowed to return to the court on 26 April, 2017.