Maria Sharapova announces retirement from Tennis at age 32 [POST#25]

[BeingFaridKhan]

LONDON -- Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the season-ending WTA Championships because of an injured right shoulder.

The WTA says the third-ranked Russian will miss the Oct. 22-27 tournament in Istanbul because of the injury, which has sidelined her for most of the second half of the year.

Sharapova’s shoulder is said to be feeling a lot better lately, but she didn't feel like she had enough time to prepare for the event. She is scheduled to be back on the practice court in about two weeks.

As first reported by L’Equipe magazine, former French Tennis Federation fitness trainer Jerome Bianchi will join Sharapova’s team in November. Sharapova's longtime trainer, Juan Reque, decided earlier this year that he would exit after the season for family reasons.

Sharapova, who has been without a full-time coach since she ended her brief stint with Jimmy Connors in August, will name a new coach early next month.

Sharapova thanked Istanbul for being a "tremendous host" and said she hopes to play in Turkey in the future.

The WTA says Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Sara Errani of Italy and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia have qualified for the championships. They join a field that already includes Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na.

The tournament features the top eight singles players and top four doubles teams.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/10/sharapova-withdraws-wta-championships/49382/#.UlMdHPli1J8

 

[finalfantasy7]

spends too much advertising some endorsement or her modelling career,

doesn't matter - serena would have embarrassed her if they met

 

[BeingFaridKhan]

Sharapova vows to be ready for Wimbledon

World number two Maria Sharapova is confident that she will have a much more successful grass-court season after being knocked out of the French Open in the fourth round.

Sharapova, who was the defending champion, was beaten by Lucie Safarova 6-7 (7), 4-6 in the last 16 at Roland Garros.
However, the 28-year-old admitted that she is pleased to have extra time to prepare for the grass court season as she is determined to win her first Wimbledon title since 2004.
"I think it's great. I think it's nice to have a little extra time," Sharapova told the official WTA website. "I want to prepare myself and train and not think about where I will be in four weeks. As an athlete, we want to try to be at the highest level, but to get there you know what your formula is.
"On the clay this year I started getting that rhythm again by the time Rome came around. It was a little bit tough to keep that going in the last couple of weeks, but that's what it is. So now, I'll get back to the basics."
Sharapova revealed that she intends to train harder during the grass-court season as she feels it will boost her chances of lifting the coveted Wimbledon title for only the second time in her career.
"With hard work, I know what I can do, and how I will feel," she said. "That's the most important thing, just to get healthy, to give myself a chance to prepare, and whether that means a warm-up tournament, or just getting extra days on the grass or training physically on it, then that's what it will end up being.
"But by the time Wimbledon comes around, I know that I will be ready."

http://www.foxsportsasia.com/tennis/news/detail/item53166/Sharapova-vows-to-be-ready-for-Wimbledon

 

[Abdul]

Maria Sharapova failed drugs test at Australian Open

Former world number one Maria Sharapova has revealed she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open.

The Russian, 28, tested positive for meldonium, a substance she has been taking since 2006 for health issues.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, said she was not yet aware of the sanctions she will face.

"I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it," said Sharapova, who won the Wimbledon title as a 17-year-old in 2004.

"For the past 10 years I have been taking a medicine called mildronate by my doctor, my family doctor, and a few days ago after I received the letter from the ITF [International tennis Federation] I found out it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know."

"It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this medicine was not on Wada's [World Anti-Doping Agency] banned list and I had been legally taking that medicine for the past 10 years.

"But on 1 January the rules had changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance, which I had not known."

She added: "I received an email on 22 December from Wada about the changes happening to the banned list and you can see prohibited items, and I didn't click on that link."

Sharapova is ranked seventh in the world but has played just four tournaments since Wimbledon last July as she has struggled with an arm injury.

Her most recent match was a defeat by Serena Williams at the Australian Open in January, but Sharapova, who turns 29 in April, hopes to be able to return to tennis in the future.

"I made a huge mistake," she said.

"I have let my fans down, and let the sport down that I have been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply.

"I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope to be given another chance to play this game."

More to follow.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/35750285

 

[Navdeep Srivastava]

Really unlucky she got 12 month ban for mistake , maximum should have been 6 months.

 

[Sachin136]

Really unlucky she got 12 month ban for mistake , maximum should have been 6 months.

Where does it say she was banned for 12 months?

 

[Navdeep Srivastava]

Where does it say she was banned for 12 months?

Tennis site is reporting this.

 

[The_KING]

Really sad to hear this. I love Maria and I'm hoping she is back soon.

 

[Navdeep Srivastava]

Really sad to hear this. I love Maria and I'm hoping she is back soon.

Actually I don't like her as a player but she is being treated badly, this drug was legal till Dec 2015 and she was taking this for ten years , now she has been banned.

 

[Vayuu]

Charasan sherapova.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Nike's pulled out of their contract as well now, this is gonna hit her bad.


Anyway, I love her. You are always my dream girl.

 

[Deewana]

She should be banned for 2 years

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Haroon786]

Similar case to Yasir Shah, the ban should be limited to within a year IMO because the drug wasn't being taken to improve performance but rather to prevent health problems.

 

[MRSN]

losing her sponsors..She earns about 80% from her sponsors so it's a massive set back for her.

Sharapova is the world's highest-paid female athlete, earning $29.7 million in prize money and endorsements between June 2014 and June 2015, according to Forbes

out of $23 million came from sponsors deals so that's massive.

 

[Pakpak]

Racquet manufacturer Head has questioned the decision to ban the use of meldonium, as they continue to stand by Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova tested positive for the drug which the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) added to their list of banned substances on 1 January.

Head wants Wada to scientifically prove why the drug should be banned.

The company believes the drug should not be prohibited but instead come with a dosage limit.

Russia's Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open in January.

The five-time Grand Slam champion, 28, will be suspended from 12 March and could face a four-year ban.

She has already lost the backing of key sponsors, but Head, who plan to extend their contract with Sharapova, said she made an "honest mistake".

Britain's Andy Murray, who is also sponsored by Head, said the manufacturer had taken a "strange stance".

A statement from Head said: "We question Wada's decision to add meldonium to its banned substances list in the manner it did; we believe the correct action by Wada would have been to impose a dosage limitation only.

"In the circumstances we would encourage Wada to release scientific studies which validates their claim that meldonium should be a banned substance."

Meldonium, also known as mildronate, was developed to treat diabetes and various heart-related diseases.

Sharapova has taken the drug since 2006, after frequent bouts of flu, abnormal electrocardiogram results and some indicators of diabetes.

Meldonium's inventor Ivars Calvins told BBC Radio 5 live that athletes could die if they are denied access to the drug.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/35785322

 

[#GreenRoars]

Maria Sharapova banned for two years for failed drugs test

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

The Russian was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open.

The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.

Sharapova will appeal against the ban, which is backdated to 26 January 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension," the five-time Grand Slam winner wrote on Facebook.

"With their decision of a two-year suspension, the ITF tribunal unanimously concluded that what I did was not intentional.

"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.

"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."

What is meldonium?
Watch: How to avoid failing a drugs test
27 Russians test positive for meldonium

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

However, Sharapova had already admitted she continued taking the substance past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/36482288

 

[EliteCynical]

And so it begins. They took down the blog but cannot take away the truth. "Tennis has a doping problem". Google it.

 

[Hasan123]

Interesting decision to appeal

 

[BeingFaridKhan]

Appeal? Now, that's interesting.

 

[The_KING]

Great news.

 

[BeingFaridKhan]

If she did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, there should not have been a 2-year ban in the first place. It is a sad day for tennis, but having said that, no one is bigger than the sport.

 

[BeingFaridKhan]

Nike to stick with Sharapova

Sportswear giant Nike has said it will stick with Maria Sharapova despite her two-year suspension from tennis for failing a drug test.

Nike said in statement on Wednesday that it would “continue to partner” Sharapova after the International Tennis Federation’s Tennis Anti-Doping Program decided that she took the drug meldonium “for the purpose of enhancing her performance.”

Sharapova tested positive for the drug at the Australian Open on January 26. A ban on Meldonium came into force on January 1. The Russian, who had been taking the drug for 10 years, said she was unaware that the drug had been recently banned.

The five-time grand slam champion has said she “cannot accept” such an “unfairly harsh” ban and will appeal.

Back in March following news of the positive test, Nike announced it “would suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues.”

On Wednesday, it provided the under-pressure former world number one with a boost, saying: “The ITF tribunal has found that Maria did not intentionally break its rules. Maria has always made her position clear, has apologised for her mistake and is now appealing the length of the ban.

“Based on the decision of the ITF and their factual findings, we hope to see Maria back on court and will continue to partner with her.”

More sponsors are likely to announce their decisions over the next few days.

Several, including American Express, Porsche, and TAG Heuer, have distanced themselves from the Russian after the positive test was made public in March.

According to Forbes magazine, Sharapova made $21.9 million over the past 12 months, a drop of almost $8 million on the previous year.

http://www.foxsportsasia.com/tennis/tennis/news/detail/item355899/nike-stick-sharapova/

 

[MenInG]

Maria Sharapova booked by Delhi police for 'criminal conspiracy'

Delhi police registered a first information report (FIR) against tennis star Maria Sharapova on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy, the Times of India reported on Sunday.

According to Times of India, the tennis player had publicised a housing project "Ballet by Sharapova" in Gurgaon, a city outside Delhi. The project was supposed to be completed by 2016, however, it never came to fruition.

The FIR was registered following a court order that was issued after Bhawana Agarwal, a resident of Gurgaon, lodged a legal complaint against the tennis player and the project developers.

The companies Homestead Infrastructure Development, Homestead Infrastructure Maintenance and Homestead Arabic Homes that were involved in the development of the housing project have also been named in the FIR in addition to Sharapova.

The complainant accused that Sharapova had "aggressively promoted" the project and "lured" prospective buyers and therefore, is equally guilty of "fraudulent activities" as the developers of the project.

The next hearing of the case has been delayed until November 23.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1371753/maria-sharapova-booked-by-delhi-police-for-criminal-conspiracy

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Long days on the court require me to keep up my hydration throughout. With soft, smooth water of course &#55357;&#56841; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/evian?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#evian</a> <a href="https://t.co/aBMI44CC0k">pic.twitter.com/aBMI44CC0k</a></p>— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaSharapova/status/965600417601282048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[The Viper]

Maria Sharapova retires: Five-time Grand Slam champion 'says goodbye' to tennis at 32

Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova is "saying goodbye" to tennis at the age of 32.

In an article written for Vogue and Vanity Fair, Sharapova said her body "had become a distraction" after a struggle with shoulder injuries.

The Russian won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2004 aged 17 and completed the career slam - all four major titles - by winning the French Open in 2012.

In 2016, she served a 15-month ban after testing positive for meldonium.

After returning from her ban in 2017, Sharapova struggled to recapture her best form and suffered from a number of injuries.

She has dropped to 373 in the world, her lowest ranking since August 2002, and has lost in the first round of her past three Grand Slam tournaments.

In announcing her retirement, she said: "I'm new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis - I'm saying goodbye.

"Looking back now, I realize that tennis has been my mountain. My path has been filled with valleys and detours, but the views from its peak were incredible.

"After 28 years and five Grand Slam titles, though, I'm ready to scale another mountain - to compete on a different type of terrain.

"That relentless chase for victories, though? That won't ever diminish. No matter what lies ahead, I will apply the same focus, the same work ethic, and all of the lessons I've learned along the way.

"In the meantime, there are a few simple things I'm really looking forward to: A sense of stillness with my family. Lingering over a morning cup of coffee. Unexpected weekend getaways. Workouts of my choice (hello, dance class!)"

Sharapova said her 6-1 6-1 first-round defeat by Serena Williams at last year's US Open was the "final signal".

"Behind closed doors, 30 minutes before taking the court, I had a procedure to numb my shoulder to get through the match," she said,

"Shoulder injuries are nothing new for me - over time my tendons have frayed like a string. I've had multiple surgeries - once in 2008, another procedure last year - and spent countless months in physical therapy.

"Just stepping on to the court that day felt like a final victory, when of course it should have been merely the first step toward victory."

Sharapova did not play again in 2019 after that defeat at Flushing Meadows and has played just twice this year, including a straight sets loss to Croat Donna Vekic in the Australian Open first round, her last competitive appearance..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/51647687

 

[ElRaja]

good player but got distracted by her business ventures, which is pbly not the worst thing given how short tennis careers are.

part of the passing of an era, serena and venus notwithstanding i dont think average public knows any female tennis players anymore.

 

[Bigboii]

She was good but always got smacked around when she met Serena

 

[Mamoon]

A very iconic player, but didn’t achieve her potential because she wasn’t focused on the game. Should have won a lot more than 5 slams.