Maria Sharapova shocked the world last year when she announced that she had failed a drug test just prior to the Australian Open. Sharapova claimed innocence and fought for her case which she eventually won. Now she will take part in Stuttgart Open after receiving a wild card entry in to the competition. With the Russian now back in action now would be a good time to look at some of the most high profile doping cases in tennis.
Sharapova’s return has not been well received by many of her peers. The fact that she got a wildcard entry in spite of having failed a drug test is considered scandalous by many notable tennis athletes such as Simona Halep and Alize Cornet.
But Sharapova did get support from former world number one Kim Clijsters. Clijsters believes that Sharapova has paid her dues and now it is time for her to shut up her crictics by playing some of the best tennis of her life.
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While Sharapova has managed to return, not all those players who failed a dope test managed to salvage their career. Here are five of the most high profile doping cases in tennis.
5) Marin Cilic
Cilic was banned for nine months after he failed a drug test during a tournament in Munich in 2013. The International Tennis Federation said that traces of banned stimulant nikethamide were found in a sample that he gave for testing.
Cilic was shocked and tried to appeal for his innocence. He took his case to the Court of Arbitration of Sport arguing that it was only a byproduct of the stimulant that was found in his sample.
He won the case and his ban was reduced to four months. On his return, he won his first Grand Slam at the US Open in the following year.
