Maria Sharapova gets backing from racket sponsor
KENNELBACH, Austria - Maria Sharapova's racket supplier says it is planning to extend its sponsorship deal despite the five-time Grand Slam champion admitting to failing a doping test.
Head CEO Johan Eliasch says Sharapova has made "a manifest error" by her continued use of meldonium after it became a banned substance this year, but adds there is no "evidence of any intent by Maria of enhancing her performance or trying to gain an unfair advantage."
Eliasch said his brand, which started sponsoring Sharapova in 2011, "is proud to stand behind Maria, now and into the future and we intend to extend her contract. We look forward to working with her and to announcing new sponsorships."
Other big-name sponsors are dropping Maria Sharapova, the first tennis superstar to face a long suspension for doping. Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche said they are all cutting off lucrative deals with the star.
The five-time grand slam winner shocked the tennis world Monday with her announcement that she had tested positive in January for using a banned substance.
"I made a huge mistake and I've let my fans down. I've let this sport down," she said at a press conference after the revelation.
The drug she used, meldonium, is a heart medicine which improves blood flow and was originally given to Soviet troops in the 1980s to boost stamina during the Afghan war. It was banned by the world anti-doping agency in January 2016 for enhancing endurance and oxygen intake. The drug is not approved by the FDA.
Sharapova said she had been taking the drug since 2006 for low magnesium, heart issues and to prevent diabetes. Four other international athletes have been caught using the drug in the last two months.
Sharapova is the world's highest paid female athlete. And of the $29 million she made last year, $23 million were in endorsements.