Sharapova to be back next year

The 29-year-old Russian tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open, but the world’s top sports court cut the initial two-year ban by nine months.

In its verdict the CAS “found that Ms Sharapova committed an anti-doping rule violation and that while it was with ‘no significant fault’, she bore some degree of fault, for which a sanction of fifteen months is appropriate”. Sharapova openly admitted she had been taking meldonium for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency. 

The initial ban was imposed by an independent tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Federation and the reduced ban following her appeal means the Russian, who has spent most of her life in the United States, will be free to resume competition at the end of April 2017.