After the announcement made by Maria Sharapova on her doping test positive at the Australian Open, the Nike has decided to suspend its sponsorship relationship with the Russian tennis player. “We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova – reads a brief statement from the US giant -. We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria during the investigation. We will continue to monitor the situation."
The prohibited substance to which the Russian champion was found positive is the meldonium, an anti-diabetic drug included among the prohibited substances this year. "At the end of December it was listed as a prohibited substance," admitted Sharapova. And in fact the ITF (International Tennis Federation) notified the update to the athletes on 22 December. Sharapova admitted she had not read the email: “The fault is mine, the body is mine and the responsibility is mine. I made a huge mistake".
