Maria Sharapova announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 32 after she issued a surprising essay in Vanity Fair and Vogue on Wednesday. She began her pro career in 2002 at the age of 14.

In one passage, Sharapova wrote, “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love – one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys – a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years? I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.”

Her illustrious pro-career spanned 19 years and featured highlight moments which included winning five Grand Slam titles, a Wimbledon championship in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and two French Open titles in 2012 and 2014 respectively. She compiled a singles’ record of 645-171 and was named the Women’s Tennis Association No.1 ranked player in the 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012 seasons.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Later in the essay, Sharapova wrote, “Throughout my career, Is it worth it? was never even a question — in the end, it always was. My mental fortitude has always been my strongest weapon. Even if my opponent was physically stronger, more confident — even just plain better — I could, and did, persevere.

In 2016, she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium initially receiving a two-year ban from the International Tennis Federation before it was reduced to nine months following Sharpova’s appeal. She was constantly bothered by shoulder injuries near the end of her career and was ranked No. 369 in the most recent WTA poll.

Sharapova’s last paragraph stated, “Tennis showed me the world — and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing.”

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova for the 19th time in 22 meetings between the 37-year-old North American and 32-year-old Russian in the first day of Grand Slam Finals at the U.S. Open on Monday.

Serena Williams looked strong as she finished Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in a very quick game that lasted just 59 minutes at the U.S. Open. By contrast, Roger Federer took two hours and nine minutes to beat Sumit Nagal the same night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams and Sharapova both have the distinction of being two of six women to have won the Career Grand Slam in the past and to have been ranked No. 1 multiples times. However, the meetings between these two have been quite lopsided. Williams has won the last 19 meetings the two have had since 2003 and there has been talk of bad blood between the two (which Williams has denied).

A recent string of shoulder problems has lowered Sharapova’s ranking down do 87th (She is expected to rise outside of the top 100 after this last loss). Williams herself did not show signs of a back issue she had been dealing with recently. Instead, many noted this looked like her finest performance since coming back to the tour in March 2018 after the birth of her child.

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“I just feel like her game really matches up well against mine. I always said her ball somehow lands in my strike zone. I don’t know. It’s just perfect for me,” said Williams.

Williams took control and power early and the first set took 25 minutes to close for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. The pace and aggressiveness continued with Williams stating of Sharapova after the match, “I was not letting her in the match.”

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Sharapova stated that she had a procedure on her shoulder nearly four months ago that has hindered the number of matches she was able to play before unfortunately drawing Williams as her opponent on the first day of the finals. “After the long match against Kontaveit, I struggled with my shoulder for a week or so,” said Williams. “I was trying to get that back on track. I think I hit like over 200 serves in that match. That was a lot compared to what I did in practice beforehand.”

Williams is seeking her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title.

Former No. 1-ranked Maria Sharapova faced off against Anett Kontaveit, the 16th seed, in the Rogers Cup on Monday.

The round of 64 match was a tight series, with Estonian national Kontaveit just sliding by to advance to the round of 32. Kontaveit rallied from a set down to defeat her Russian opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Rogers Cup.

“I was just trying to take it point by point and not think about the score that much. It worked in the end,” said Kontaveit, according to Firstpost. Kontaveit converted her first point in the match when Sharapova sent a poor service return.

Sharapova is in a bit of a bad spell in form and has slipped into the No. 82 rank after battling a few injuries. She was out four months with a right shoulder injury that needed surgery.

“I’m still building the confidence and my form, and that’s something that’s just going to come with time and with match play,” Sharapova said, according to WTA Tennis. “Unfortunately, I just haven’t had that yet, so will just hopefully try to build on it.”

This was Kontaveit’s first match since losing dramatically in the first round of the women’s Wimbledon tournament last month. The two-hour, 42-minute match on Center Court was a heated fixture, as Kontaveit had to earn her win against Sharapova.

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“It was a super close match, and I really felt the support of the crowd in the third set and in the end,” Kontaveit said after the match, according to WTA Tennis.

Kontaveit will next face either Venus Williams, the seven-time Grand Slam champion, or Spanish international Carla Suarez Navarro. They play their round of 64 match on Tuesday.

“It will be tough either way. I’ve played them both,” Kontaveit said, according to WTA Tennis. “They have very different game styles. We’ll see what happens tomorrow when they’re playing, and I think we can talk about the next match when they’re finished, when they’re finished playing each other.”

Sharapova will be looking to earn her confidence back after struggling in 2019 so far. “There’s never the perfect scenario. I’m going to be coming up against tough players, long matches, and there are always going to be tests,” she said, according to WTA Tennis. “And I always have to play my best tennis no matter who I play, so it will just take time to build that confidence again, because I have struggled with it for a long time.”

Garbine Muguruza is out of the 2018 Australian Open.

Australian Open Round 2 winners news

The 24-year-old Venezuelan-born Spaniard lost to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei — the World No. 88 — in straight sets (6-7, 4-6) in Thursday’s second-round match.

Muguruza, the World No. 3 who won Wimbledon in 2017 and the French Open in 2016, struggled with the hot weather in Melbourne and received treatment on her left foot in the opening set. (Temperatures had reached a scorching 40 Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit earlier in the day.) Muguruza had 43 unforced errors in the match, which she began with strapping on her foot.

Hsieh, 32, will next face 26th seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round.

Meanwhile, top seed Simona Halep defeated Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2 in a match that lasted an hour and seven minutes and was marred by rain.

The 26-year-old Romanian Halep was seeking her first Grand Slam title. She twisted her ankle in a first-round victory over Destanee Aiava.

“I feel pain but I didn’t think about it. I just wanted to play the match,” said the two-time Melbourne quarter-finalist, who faces unseeded American Lauren Davis in the third round on Saturday.

Canadian youngster Bouchard, the Wimbledon 2014 runner-up, is now ranked 112 and only held her serve once.

Also advancing on Thursday was five-time major winner Maria Sharapova. The 30-year-old Russian star defeated No. 14-seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (4).

“It’s a warm day. I did my job in two sets against someone that’s been troubling in the past for me” said Sharapova, who missed last year’s tournament in Melbourne while serving a 15-month doping ban. “So, third round of the Australian Open, I don’t know, I think I deserve to smile out there after that victory.”

Sharapova was suspended after testing positive for meldonium, a banned heart drug, at the 2016 Australian Open. She made her return to competitive tennis at last year’s US Open.

Also eliminated from the 2018 Australian Open after less than one week of play are Venus Williams and another American, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. 

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 01: Garbine Muguruzu of Spain hits a backhand during the Ladies Singles quarter final against Shelby Rogers of the United States on day eleven of the 2016 French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova may have been playing her first major tournament in 18 months on Monday, but she looked as powerful as ever in securing a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 first-round victory over No. 2 seed Romanian Simona Halep at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

US Open Day 1 recap, Round 2 preview

The 30-year-old Russian was granted a wild-card entry into the 2017 U.S. Open after she returned from a 15-month doping suspension in April. Sharapova received the ban for testing positive for the prohibited heart drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. She later claimed that the positive test occurred because of a miscommunication as a result of the drug being added to the World Tennis Association’s banned substances list earlier in 2016.

Halep — who has now lost all seven matches against Sharapova — struggled with her first serve and couldn’t handle her Russian opponent’s incredible display of power.

During the first set alone, Sharapova — the World No. 146 and a five-time major champion — recorded 18 forehand winners and ten backhand winners.

In the final set, Sharapova again took advantage of Halep’s weak second serve.

Sharapova has suffered from several different injuries since her return from her doping ban, including a forearm injury last month that forced her to withdraw from the Bank of the West Classic after just one match, but seemed in fine shape on Monday.

The Russian — who won the U.S. Open in 2006 — will next face Hungarian Tímea Babos in the second round in Flushing on Wednesday. Babos defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic on Monday.

Meanwhile, No. 9 seed Venus Williams also reached the second round by defeating 19-year-old Slovakian qualifier Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Monday.

Williams — who  helped inaugurate Ashe, reaching the first women’s final played in the venue in 1997 — has now won 50 three-set matches over her 22-year Grand Slam career, tied with Chris Evert for second most by a woman in the Open era.

“It’s been a beautiful 20 years,” said the 37-year-old American. “I love this game.”

Williams will next face 20-year-old French qualifier Océane Dodin in Round 2 on Wednesday at 11 am EST. Dodin advanced by beating countrywoman Pauline Parmentier 3-6, 6-0, 7(8)-6(6) on Monday.

On the men’s side, 17th ranked American Sam Querrey will face Israel’s Dudi Sela on Wednesday at 11 am EST following the cancellation of his first-round match against compatriot Tim Smyczek.

American Steve Johnson will face Britain’s Kyle Edmund, while fourth-seeded German 20-year-old Alexander Zverev will play Croatian Borna Ćorić after a first-round victory over Barbardian Darian King. 

Here is the TV schedule for Round 2 on Wednesday:

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 27: Maria Sharapova of Russia in action during a practice session prior to the US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The USTA has granted Maria Sharapova a wild-card entry into the main draw of this year’s US Open, which will mark the Russian star’s first Grand Slam tournament since returning from a partially-served 15-month doping suspension.

Maria Sharapova doping ban news

Sharapova, 30, returned to the WTA Tour following her ban’s expiration in April, although she was not given a wild-card spot into the French Open and missed Wimbledon after withdrawing early from qualifiers with a thigh injury she initially sustained at the Italian Open in May.

The Russian — who has seen her world ranking fall to 148th — was suspended in March 2016 after testing positive for the heart medication meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, the first tournament she participated in after the drug had been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency and several other anti-doping agencies.

Sharapova’s initial ban was for two years effective after the end of the Melbourne tournament, which means she would have been forbidden from playing until Jan. 2018, but the punishment was reduced upon her appeal in October. The Russian claimed she did not know meldonium was prohibited, and that she had been using it since 2006 — the year she won the US Open — purely to treat a series of health problems including bouts of the flu, possible onset diabetes and a magnesium deficiency.

Sharapova has not competed in a Grand Slam in nearly 18 months. On Tuesday, she thanked US Open officials on Twitter for giving her the opportunity to participate in the major:

Tennis legend Billie Jean King expressed her approval of officials’ decision to issue Sharapova a wild card in her own tweet:

“Her suspension under the terms of the tennis anti-doping program was completed and therefore was not one of the factors weighed in our wild card selection process,” the USTA said of Sharapova in a statement. “Consistent with past practice, a wild card was provided to a past U.S. Champion who needed the wild card for entry into the main draw.”

In its statement, the USTA also listed former US Open champions who previously received main-draw wild cards, including Martina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro.

Seven other players besides Sharapova were awarded wild card entries into the 2017 US Open, including two Americans:  Taylor Townsend and Kayla Day. 

At this year’s Open — which begins on Aug. 28 in Queens, New York — Sharapova will also be talking to young tennis players about anti-doping regulations and about how crucial it is to respect the USTA’s rules with respect to drugs and other issues.

“Additionally, Sharapova has volunteered to speak to young tennis players at the USTA National Campus about the importance of the tennis anti-doping program and the personal responsibility each player has to comply with the program’s requirements,” the USTA statement said.

The U.S. Open wild card is the tenth Sharapova has been given this year. She earlier received them to gain entry into the first four tournaments she played this year (in Stuttgart, Madrid, Rome and Stanford, Calif.). She also received wild cards into several tournaments she was forced to miss due to injury (Birmingham, England; Toronto and Cincinnati) and for two events she plans to play in China this fall.

“I’m very fortunate and grateful for the tournaments that have provided me a wild card, and I’d say 99 percent of them have at this point,” Sharapova said two weeks ago at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California. “So I’m very thankful. A lot of these events I’ve played at before, and I have a history with the people, the fans, the tournament itself. So the opportunities that I have, I’m taking it. I want to perform, and I want to perform well, and it means a lot to me to be there.”

Sharapova withdrew from the Bank of the West Classic due to soreness in her left arm.

The Russian’s last major title came in 2014, when she won the French Open. Sharapova also reached the US Open semifinals in 2012.

Caption:MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova was denied a wild-card entry into this year’s French Open due to her doping ban on Tuesday, the same day the Russian star retired from the Italian Open with a thigh injury.

Maria Sharapova denied entry into French Open

Bernard Giudicelli, the president of the French Tennis Federation, announced the decision via Facebook Live after telling Sharapova in person.

“I decided not to give Maria Sharapova a wild card. I’m very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans. They might be disappointed, she might be very disappointed,” Giudicelli said. “But it’s my responsibility, it’s my mission to protect the game and protect the high standards of the game.”

Sharapova, 30, returned to competitive tennis in April following a 15-month suspension for a doping violation. She received wild-card entries into the main draw of regular tournaments in Stuttgart, Germany, as well as Madrid and Rome.

The Russian is a two-time French Open singles champion: she won Roland Garros in 2012 and 2014. This year’s tournament begins on May 28 in Paris.

“She has handled her suspension with dignity and respect,” added Giudicelli. “But nonetheless, though there can be a wild card after an injury, there cannot be one for a return from doping. So it is up to Maria day after day, tournament after tournament, to find alone the strength she needs to win the big titles without owing anything to anyone.”

Sharapova, who boasts titles at all four majors, was criticized by several other tennis stars, including Angelique Kerber, Andy Murray and Genie Bouchard, the last of whom said Sharapova had cheated by doping and also slammed the International Tennis Federation for allowing the Russian to compete again.

Others, however, seem to support Sharapova and believe disqualifying her from entry into any of these tournaments is excessive.

“I believe every tournament should give her a main draw wild card, and I think the safest play is to give her a wild card into the qualies,” Justin Gimelstob, a Tennis Channel analyst and member of the ATP board of directors, said on Monday. “I’m very concerned this new president is going to try to make a statement and shut her out of the tournament. If he does that, it’s a huge travesty and a mistake.”

Novak Djokovic, a longtime friend of Sharapova’s, said there is not much anyone can do about the French Tennis Federation’s decision.

“Whoever, you know, runs the French Open is in charge of the French Open, and they can make a decision that they think is the most appropriate,” said the top-ranked Serb. “Must be tough for her, but it’s the way it is. In some tournaments she’s going to get that help in wild card and invitation. Some not. Unfortunately, it’s a Grand Slam, which is for sure for her a big one. But it is what it is.”

The ITF initially suspended Sharapova from tennis in June 2016 for two years after she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium at last year’s Australian Open. In October, her suspension was reduced to 15 months starting from the date of the failed test (January 26, 2016).

Sharapova defeated American Christina McHale in the first round of the Italian Open on Monday and has now secured a spot in Wimbledon, a tournament the Russian won in 2004.

On Tuesday, however, Sharapova withdrew from her second-round match in Rome against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a thigh injury after leading 4-6, 6-3, 2-1.

The Russian stepped off the court for an injury timeout during the second game of the third set and returned with her left thigh taped. She officially retired approximately 2.5 hours after Giudicelli announced her suspension.

Sharapova did not hold a press conference following Tuesday’s match and issued a statement that addressed her injury but not her ban from the French Open.

“I apologize for having to withdraw from my match today with a left thigh injury,” she said. “I will be getting all the necessary examinations to make sure it is not serious. I want to thank the tournament for giving me the opportunity to play this special event again.”

Roger Federer, meanwhile, announced Monday that he will bypass the French Open, a clay-court tournament, in order to focus on grass-court play.

Caption:MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Eugenie Bouchard has criticized both the World Tennis Association and Maria Sharapova after the Russian tennis star, who has been serving a 15-month doping suspension, was permitted to return to play on Wednesday.

Genie Bouchard Slams WTA, Maria Sharapova After Return

Sharapova, who turned 30 on April 19, defeated Italian Roberta Vinci at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, 7-5, 6-3 Wednesday. The Russian had originally been banned from tennis for two years after testing positive for meldonium, a drug prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency in January 2016, at the Australian Open that year.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Sharapova’s suspension to 15 months, stating she was not an “intentional doper” but “bore some degree of fault” for trusting her agent with regards to the list of banned drugs, which the agent evidently had an erroneous version of.

Bouchard lambasted the WTA, saying it had set a terrible example to young, aspiring athletes, and called Sharapova a “cheater” who should be banned from tennis for life.

“She’s a cheater and … I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again,” said the 23-year-old Canadian. “It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: ‘cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms’.”

The 2014 Wimbledon finalist continued: “I don’t think that’s right and (Sharapova is) definitely not someone I can say I look up to any more.”

Bouchard last fell to Slovakia’s Jana Čepelová 6-0, 6-4 at the Istanbul Open on Tuesday.

Sharapova also beat fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-1 in the second round at Stuttgart early Thursday, and next faces Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in the quarterfinals Friday morning.

The Russian star will find out in May whether she will be given a wild card for the French Open.

Caption: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Eugenie Bouchard of Canada plays a forehand in her second round match against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during day three of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova will be eligible to return to competitive tennis in April after her two-year doping suspension was reduced to 15 months Tuesday by a sports court that found the Russian superstar bore no “significant fault” for her positive test.

Maria Sharapova’s Doping Ban Is Reduced By Nine Months

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Sharapova had no intention to cheat. The 29-year-old tested positive for the banned heart medication meldonium at the Australian Open in January.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player, appealed in June seeking to overturn or reduce the two-year suspension imposed by the International Tennis Federation. She publicly disclosed the violation in March, days after she was privately notified of the lab results.

The Russian’s ban took effect Jan. 26 and was originally due to run until Jan. 25, 2018. Now, however, she can return on April 26, 2017, one month before the French Open.

Tuesday’s ruling could help Sharapova redeem her standing with sponsors that rapidly dropped her when she was disciplined last spring. These sponsors included Nike, Porsche and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, who all suspended their relationships with her.

After this, Serena Williams overtook Sharapova as the world’s highest-paid female athlete.

Some companies, including Nike, expressed support for Sharapova, while others like Porsche said they would wait until the court delivered its ruling to decide whether to continue their relationship. A spokeswoman for Porsche said Tuesday that the company planned to discuss “a future collaboration” in coming weeks.

“I’ve gone from one of the toughest days of my career,” Sharapova said in a statement Tuesday, alluding to her initial suspension in March, “to, now, one of the happiest days.”

 Meldonium, which is believed to improve blood flow and accelerate an athlete’s recovery while training, was not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency until 2016. Sharapova claimed she was unaware that use of the drug in international sports had been restricted.

She had taken the substance since 2006, she said, to treat a number of health problems, including frequent bouts of the flu, the possible onset of diabetes and a magnesium deficiency.

In June, a disciplinary panel appointed by the ITF accepted Sharapova’s claim that the violation had been accidental, a finding that spared her from a suspension of up to four years.

In her appeal, Sharapova argued at a hearing in New York last month that tennis officials had not done enough to publicize the change and that two years was a disproportionately harsh penalty.

“This was an honest administrative mistake,” said John Haggerty, a lawyer for Sharapova. “There was no intent to cheat.”

A panel of three arbitrators– two American and one Italian– accepted that explanation but noted in a 28-page decision that although the offense was inadvertent, it nonetheless constituted a violation of the rules that warranted a 15-month suspension.

The sports court has a history of reducing the disciplinary penalties imposed by tennis officials; Sharapova’s partial win follows similar ones by Marin Cilic of Croatia and Viktor Troicki of Serbia, decisions delivered in 2013.

The recent meldonium ban has resulted in a string of failed drug tests among East European athletes this year, predominantly Russians.

In her statement Tuesday, Sharapova criticized the tennis federation for, she said, not clearly explaining the change in rules, saying she had “learned how much better other federations were at notifying their athletes of the rule change, especially in Eastern Europe.”

She added: “I hope the I.T.F. and other relevant tennis anti-doping authorities will study what these other federations did, so that no other tennis player will have to go through what I went through.”

 Caption:MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation after failing a drugs test.

Maria Sharapova Banned For Two Years After Failed Drugs Tests, Set To Appeal

The Russian star was provisionally suspended in March after testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.

The heart disease drug, which boosts blood and oxygen flow, became a banned substance on January 1, 2016. Sharapova, 29, said in March she began using the drug in 2006 under a doctor’s guidance due to irregular electrocardiogram results and a family history of heart issues and diabetes.

The five-time Grand Slam champion says she will appeal against the ban, which is backdated to January 26, 2016.

“I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension,” Sharapova said in a statement posted on Facebook. “The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years.”

The Russian then continued: “The ITF asked the tribunal to suspend me for four years – the required suspension for an intentional violation – and the tribunal rejected the ITF’s position,” she said. “I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that’s why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible.”

The ITF stated Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in an out-of-competition test on February 2, as well as her subsequent Australian Open quarter-final loss to Serena Williams on January 26, which was her most recent game.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said in April that scientists remained unsure exactly how long meldonium stayed in the system, and suggested athletes who tested positive before March 1 could avoid suspensions, provided they had stopped taking it before January 1.

Nevertheless, Sharapova had already admitted she continued using the substance past that date, claiming she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name: mildronate. Her lawyer, John Haggerty, also said she took the substance after that date.

The governing body argued that Sharapova’s records with the doctor ended in 2013, yet she continued to take the drug.

Sharapova and the Russian team had hoped she would be cleared in time to compete at the Olympics in Rio, Brazil in August, but after the ruling, Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev told the Tass news agency that Ekaterina Makarova would replace her.

The appeal will be sent to the Court of Arbitration in Sport, where three judges will make the ruling. Both Sharapova and the ITF get to choose one of the judges. The decision will be binding.

If her original suspension is maintained, Sharapova will sit out through the 2018 Australian Open.

Her last major victory came at the 2014 French Open. She is ranked 26th in the world as of this week. When Sharapova announced her positive test, her endorsement deals with Nike and Porsche were suspended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUSAFnM05PM

PHOTO: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova has announced that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Maria Sharapova Failed Drug Test At Australian Open

Sharapova received a letter from the International Tennis Foundation just a few days ago stating that she had failed the test for a substance that had been legal until Jan. 1 of this year.

The tennis star had begun taking the substance, a heart medication called Meldonium, in 2006 to aid her in a variety of health problems. However, Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, was added to a list of banned drugs at the start of 2016. Sharapova claimed she failed the drug test because of ignorance, since she did not look at the list of newly banned substances for 2016 from the World Anti-Doping Association. Sharapova is at least the seventh athlete to test positive for the drug this year, a drug which has been shown to act as a performance-enhancing drug.

“I don’t want to end my career this way,” Sharapova stated. “I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.”

She has not competed since January’s Australian Open, where she lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Her sample was taken on Jan. 26, the same day she lost to Williams. The five-time Grand Slam Champion has suffered a string of injuries over the last few years, including one that forced her to withdraw from last year’s U.S. Open. More recently, she suffered an arm injury that forced her to pull out of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California.

“I have to take full responsibility for it,” Sharapova also said at a news conference in Los Angeles. “It’s my body, and I’m responsible for what I put into it.”

Sharapova, 28, is currently ranked 7th in the world, and is a former World No. 1 who has won 35 singles titles. Her five Grand Slams include two French Opens, one Wimbledon, one Australian Open, and one U.S. Open, which makes her one of only 10 women, and the only Russian woman, to hold the career Grand Slam.

Sharapova won at least one singles title every year from 2003 to 2015, a remarkable run. She has played in 733 career matches and won 80 percent of them.

Caption:MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Maria Sharapova Advances At Australian Open, Earns 600th Career Win

Almost 14 years after she won her very first professional tennis match, Maria Sharapova earned her 600th victory at the Australian Open on Friday.

Sharapova faced off against American Lauren Davis, and overcame a challenge in the second set, which lasted over an hour, and a string of errors to win 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0 and advance to the fourth round.

The Russian was asked following the match about her milestone victory, but seemed completely unaware of her accomplishment. “Oh wow, I’ve won 600 matches?” she asked, then joking: “Is this a friendly reminder I’m getting older?”

“I think it’s a proud number,” she then added. Sharapova is now the 17th woman to have reached the 600-win mark.

The fifth-seeded Sharapova will next play rising Swiss teenager No. 12 Belinda Bencic, who beat 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 against Kateryna Bondarenko.

Fellow tennis superstar Roger Federer also reached a milestone during the tournament, earning his 300th win after moving into the fourth round at Rod Laver Arena on Friday. He won against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. 

Caption: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her third round match against Lauren Davis of the United States during day five of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Tennis’ first grand slam of the year wrapped up in Melbourne this weekend with two familiar faces coming out on top. Top seeded Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova for the women’s title on Saturday while Novak Djokovic topped Andy Murray for the men’s crown on Sunday.

Serena won her 19th Grand Slam title in her thorough 2 set victory over Sharapova. The American is now only three behind Steffi Graf’s 21 titles for the all-time Open-era grand slam title lead. Williams, who has dominated in head-to-head matches with Sharapova, won the first set 6-3. She won the match after surviving a late rally by her opponent to take the 2nd set 7-6 in a tiebreak. Williams remains undefeated in Australian Open finals and notched up her sixth title down under.

Williams has now won 16 matches in a row against Sharapova, who was the #2 seed in the tournament, to improve her head-to-head record to 17-2. Sharapova has now lost her third Australian Open championship round appearance, with her only victory coming in 2008.

Djokovic continued the theme of Aussie dominance by winning his 5th Australian Open in 4 sets. The Serbian native defeated Murray by a scoreline of 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0. Although the first two sets were decided by tiebreak, Murray ran out of gas as Djokovic had a perfect set to win the match. The championship is Djokovic’s eighth Grand Slam title.

Like Williams, Djokovic is perfect in Australian Open finals, going 5 for 5 in his career. And like Sharapova, Murray continues to be snakebitten in Australian Open finals, as he sits at 0-4 in the championship round. Djokovic will be able to chase history the next time he comes to Melbourne, as he is now one away from Roy Emerson’s men’s record of 6 Australian Open titles.

Djokovic and Williams will continue their pursuit of the record books later this May in the second Grand Slam of the year– the French Open in Paris. After the Australian Open, it’s hard to see the two of them slowing down any time soon.

Well the Australian Open is somewhat heading into finals weekend: as there is one more semifinal match to still be played. Tonight, Novak Djokovic will have his rematch against Stan Wawrinka, the defending Australian Open champion that knocked him out of the quarterfinals in 2014. For those interested in watching it, it is on fairly late: tomorrow morning at 3:30 am EST to be exact.

At the same time, the other three matches are finished and the winners are exactly who you expect: today Andy Murray defeated Tom Berdych in four sets 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5.  After a hardly contested first set, Murray settled down breaking Berdych 6 out of 10 times. He even registered 17 less unforced errors and won 75 percent of his first serve points. Yet the match is more famous for the viral vine of Murray and his fiancée swearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHQbYIU5gUI

On the women’s side of the draw, Selena Williams also had a hard fought first set winning in a tiebreaker, but was able to hold off the 19-year-old Madison Keys by playing a great statistical match: only 16 unforced errors — 23 less than Keys — 62 percent of first serves in, 73 percent of her first service points won and only one double fault.

And she will face Maria Sharapova who easily handled the tenth seed Ekaterina Makarova: in just under 90 minutes, Sharapova dismantled her opponent 6-3, 6-2. And Sharapova did not even play her best match: only 55 percent of her first serves in — she did win on 81 percent of first serves — 50 percent of second serves won, seven double faults and 26 unforced errors. Simply, she needs to play better if she wants to beat Serena: an opponent she is 2-16 against — 1-2 in grand slam finals and 1-4 in all grand slam matches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOLI4A-6k1A

The Australian Open women’s final will be on Saturday morning 3:30 am EST with the men’s championship happening at the same time the following day.

The Australian Open has officially gotten underway: and it will run until Feb. 1, with the men’s championship happening on ESPN at 3 am EST — the women’s championship is the morning before at the same time and on the same channel.

As for the first round, it is officially completed with the start of the second beginning tomorrow Jan. 21. And some notable victories on the men’s draw, number one in the world Novak Djokovic easily skated past the first round with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 straight set win over Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene. On top of this, defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal enjoyed fairly reasonable straight set victories. Also, 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt and America’s only chance to be relevant, John Isner, has secured their bids to the second round as well.

As for women’s side of the draw, most of the main superstars passed through the opening round unscathed: Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwańska, Eugenie Bouchard and Simona Halep barely broke a sweat during their matches.

At the same time, the first round saw a high number of seeded exits: with the worst coming from Ana Ivanovic. The five seed lost uncharacteristically 1-6 6-3 6-2 to the 142nd ranked player in the world Lucie Hradecká. And she is one of eight seeded players to not make it past the opening round: the men’s draw only had five, but none were as big of a name as Ivanovic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN0whfC1-oc

The Australian Open just got off to a very exciting start: the potential matches make it a tournament worth waking/staying up for — for instance, there is a possibility that Federer will face Murray in the quarterfinals, which could result in the winner playing Nadal in the semis, and even the young Halep versus Sharapova in the semifinals is a match worth watching. It is just a fun time to be a tennis fan.