Written By Ravi Ubha at CNN.com
Maria Sharapova received a two-year suspension from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after testing positive for banned drug meldonium, which may end the career of the richest female athlete of the past decade.
The ITF made the announcement Wednesday, ending weeks of speculation about the future of the former world No. 1. Sharapova — whose case was heard by a three-person tribunal on May 18 and 19 — immediately said on her Facebook page she would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which will have the final say on the matter. Her lawyer, John Haggerty, told CNN he expected the hearing to take place next month.
The ITF — which sought a four-year punishment — told CNN it wouldn’t be appealing to CAS, while the World Anti-Doping Agency will review the decision before deciding whether or not to take the matter to Swiss-based court.
The two-year ban is in line with non-specified substances such as meldonium for first-time offenders who aren’t deemed to have intentionally cheated.
“The ITF tribunal unanimously concluded that what I did was not intentional,” the 29-year-old Sharapova said. “The tribunal found that I did not seek treatment from my doctor for the purpose of obtaining a performance enhancing substance. The ITF spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules and the tribunal concluded I did not.
