Sharapova slams media, goes defensive on Facebook
ACE PLAYER MARIA SHARAPOVA, who sent the tennis fraternity into a spin by announcing that she failed a dope test at the Australian Open and was provisionally suspended, has blamed media for distorting the facts and failing to accurately report about what actually happened.
In a lengthy Facebook post addressed to her fans on Saturday, Sharapova said she is grateful to them for showing her a tremendous outpouring of support.
To My Fans:I want to reach out to you to share some information, discuss the latest news, and let you know that there...
Posted by Maria Sharapova on Friday, March 11, 2016
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Tuesday she would be provisionally banned from March 12. The usual ban for first-time offenders is two years.
The failed drug test came on January 26 -- after Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals -- and she was charged with an anti-doping violation on March 2.
The failed drug test could cause the five-time Grand Slam winner a spot at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the $298,000 she won in January at the Australian Open.
