MARIA SHARAPOVA HAS hit out at reports suggesting she was warned five times about meldonium before testing positive to the drug.
The Russian tested positive to the substance, added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list at the start of the year, at the Australian Open and faces a ban.
Reports had suggested Sharapova, a five-time grand-slam champion, ignored multiple warnings about the drug’s addition.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the 28-year-old labelled such reports exaggerated.
“A report said that I had been warned five times about the upcoming ban on the medicine I was taking. That is not true and it never happened,” Sharapova wrote.
“That’s a distortion of the actual ‘communications’ which were provided or simply posted onto a webpage.
“I make no excuses for not knowing about the ban. I already told you about the December 22, 2015 email I received.
“Its subject line was ‘Main Changes to the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme for 2016.’ I should have paid more attention to it.
“But the other ‘communications’? They were buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts.”
Sharapova pointed to a newsletter received via email, covering numerous topics including the likes of travel, upcoming tournaments, rankings, statistics and anti-doping information.
She added: “In other words, in order to be aware of this ‘warning’, you had to open an email with a subject line having nothing to do with anti-doping, click on a webpage, enter a password, enter a username, hunt, click, hunt, click, hunt, click, scroll and read.
“I guess some in the media can call that a warning. I think most people would call it too hard to find.
“There was also a ‘wallet card’ distributed at various tournaments at the beginning of 2016, after the ban went into effect.
“This document had thousands of words on it, many of them technical, in small print. Should I have studied it? Yes. But if you saw this document [attached], you would know what I mean.
“Again, no excuses, but it’s wrong to say I was warned five times.”
Sharapova also said she only used the medicine as recommended by her doctor after a story claimed it was normally taken for 4-6 weeks.
The Russian had been taking meldonium for 10 years, but insisted it was in low doses and as recommended.
Don’t go there kid.. Go somewhere where you’ll be appreciated and where you’ll only get better
@Chonky Racoon: spot on I know it’s hard to say no to these huge clubs but better for your future if you went to a smaller club and got plenty of game time clubs like Dortmund or Lyon who have history of bringing players throught
There not holding back anyway
Every country has a Messi these days. Wessi was our Messi!
Is he the first Japanese man to sign for them, first Asian perhaps? Can’t think of anyone else off hand. Lá liga will be delighted either way!
@Hardly Normal: he’s signed for Castilla , it’s Real Madrid’s B team .. it’s a strategic move for Madrid , the player himself may not thrive though. A guy like Odegaard is making a name for himself in Holland but it’s unlikely he’ll ever triumph in Real Madrid . It’s surprising that he didn’t go back to Barca tbh .
@Hardly Normal: As Mr. Madrugada points out, Kubo is signing for Castilla, not Real Madrid (a tehnicality). But Real Madrid (including Castilla and Real Madrid C) have had at least two Asian players before. There was some fanfare a few years back when they signed Chinese Lin Liangming. There was also a Jordanian (Tha’er Bawab) who played for both Real and Barce’s B-Teams back in the early 00s.
@Limón Madrugada: do you think Odegaard will ever make it with Madrid or will just be sold on ??
@Philip Farrell: you hardly rattled that off the top of your head, if you did fair play. So no asain player has played for Real Madrid proper? I’d put money on it this lad will get an opportunity if he shows any bit of promise. The asain market is untapped from a Spanish point of view, interesting move.
@Andrew Tuite: sold on I reckon , he’s done well in Holland and Ajax are looking at him . He’d be useful as part of the deal for de Ligt !! But he needs to make a proper breakthrough for Madrid to see him as first team material.
Great news for la liga