Sharapova returns to tennis in 2017

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Maria Sharapova will be returning to the tennis game. The former five-time Grand Slam champion received word that her suspension for a positive drug test back at the Australian Open this season was reduced from two years to ending on April, 26 2017.

“In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back,” Sharapova said in a letter on her Facebook page. “ I am counting the days until I can return to the court.

Sharapova received a letter from the International Tennis Federation in February that the drug known as “Meldonium” was shown in her drug test and was grounds for suspension. The former number one stated in her announcement on March. 7 that she has been taking the drug for 10 years and had no idea of its addition to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances on Jan. 1.

While on an indefinite suspension, a three-person panel was put into place to determine the fate of Sharapova which before a ruling came down, she would miss out on the remainder of the Grand Slams as well as skip the 2016 Olympics in Rio. With appeals and delays on the decision, Sharapova remained positive and awaited whatever fate came down.

“I’ve learned from this, and I hope the ITF has as well. CAS concluded that “the panel has determined it does not agree with many of the conclusions of the ITF Tribunal.”,”she said. “Now that the process is over, I hope the ITF and other relevant tennis anti-doping authorities will study what these other federations did, so that no other tennis player will have to go through what I went through.”

"The TADP has a comprehensive and fair process in place and we support the final result," Women's Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon said. We are pleased that the process is now at completion and can look forward to seeing Maria back on court in 2017."

Photo by: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images