Maria Sharapova: ITF tried to make an example of me
Wednesday 5 October 2016 11:00, UK
Maria Sharapova has accused the International Tennis Federation (ITF) of trying to make an example of her after she was initially banned for two years for testing positive for meldonium.
Sharapova's doping ban was reduced to 15 months on Tuesday after she successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), meaning she will be free to return to tennis on April 26, 2017.
But while speaking on an American chat show, the former Wimbledon champion criticised the ITF's handling of her case, claiming it was not neutral, unlike the CAS.
The ITF has said "appropriate steps were taken to publicise any changes".
The ITF also added that it would continue to review the process of "communicating changes to the prohibited list to players with the aim of ensuring that no player can claim that they had not been fully informed".
Sharapova tested positive in January at the Australian Open, just a few weeks after meldonium had been put on the banned list.
She had been taking the drug since 2006 for health problems and denies it enhances performance.
Hear what Sharapova had to say by clicking the video above…
