The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced today that they will make a decision about Maria Sharapova’s appeal against her two-year doping ban in the first week of October.
The former world No.1 is currently suspended from the sport after testing positive for Meldonium during this year’s Australian Open and in a out-of competition test on February 2nd. It was discovered that Sharapova and her team failed to check that the substance became a banned drug on January 1st this year. After a lengthy hearing with the ITF, the body concluded that there was no justifiable reason for the 29-year-old to consume the substance.
‘In the tribunal’s view the answer is clear. Whatever the position may have been in 2006, there was in 2016 no diagnosis and no therapeutic advice supporting the continuing use of Mildronate (Meldonium).” The ITF report said.
‘If she had believed that there was a continuing medical need to use Mildronate then she would have consulted a medical practitioner. The manner of its use, on match days and when undertaking intensive training, is only consistent with an intention to boost her energy levels.”
As a result of the decision, Sharapova’s legal team immediately launched an appeal against the ban to the CAS on June 9th. The original decision by the court was due in September, however, it was agreed by both parties that the decision will be delayed. It is now confirmed that Sharapova will be informed if her appeal is successful in 3-4 weeks time.
“In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks a reduction of the Tribunal’s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation,” CAS said in a statement.
“The final award will be published on the CAS website together with a media release.”
Sharapova is currently prohibited from competing on the tour until the end of January 2018. If this decision stays in place, she will not be allowed to play in a grand slam tournament until the 2018 French Open.
