Sharapova Hits Back at Critics, Denies Drug Cheating

Tennis star Maria Sharapova, who served a 15-month suspension for doping, has hit back at her critics, saying they “don’t have the facts”.

The former world number one was suspended last year after she admitted taking the banned substance meldonium.
She has been widely criticised. Fellow player Eugenie Bouchard said she should not have been allowed to return.
But in a BBC interview, Sharapova denied cheating and said she had put the scandal behind her.

But Sharapova told the BBC: “I think those are comments not based on facts, and therefore I don’t take them into consideration.”

The Russian player, who has just released her memoir Unstoppable, My Life So Far, also took aim at Andy Murray. The British player has previously said he finds it strange that there is a prescription drug – meldonium – used to treat a heart condition commonly shared by many athletes at the top of their sport.

Sharapova said: “I don’t think it’s for them to really have an opinion, because they don’t have the facts. So, you know, I think that those are the types of words that make headlines and they will be used as headlines.

“But ultimately, this is my career, and I faced it head on, and I admitted my mistake, and I went about it and I served my suspension and now I’m back.”

Related Articles