Russian tennis champion, Maria Sharapova is preparing to return to tennis after a 15-month ban.
The 26-year-old had been banned for two years since June, 2016 after testing positive for Meldonium doping during the 2016 Australian Open.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her two-year sentence to a 15 month sentence under the impression that Sharapova was not an “intentional doper” but rather had been taking the drug since 2006 for health problems not “to use as a performance-enhancing substance”.
Sharapova spoke at her first public appearance since the suspension in March on Tuesday at the ANA Inspiring Women Conference.
“When you love what you do, and you do it with passion and integrity and you work hard and have a team around you, and you’re the driving force, you know what you stand for and who you are,” said Sharapova during the conference.
The Olympic medalist will be returning to tennis as from April 26.
