Maria Sharapova banned for two years by International Tennis Federation over failed drugs test

In a statement on her Facebook page Sharapova announced her decision to appeal against the ITF's decision, claiming that "the ITF spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules and the tribunal concluded I did not.

"While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension. The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years. I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"I have missed playing tennis and I have missed my amazing fans, who are the best and most loyal fans in the world. I have read your letters. I have read your social media posts and your love and support has gotten me through these tough days. I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that’s why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible."

Sharapova has maintained that she had been unaware that meldonium was on the banned list, saying that she had not read Wada’s updated 2016 list of banned substances, which she had received on December 22 last year.

She told the tribunal that she was unaware she was expected to log her use of meldonium on doping control forms, saying that she believed she was only obliged to log medication and supplements she had taken every day for the last week.

"I did not feel it was a huge responsibility of mine to write all those medications down," she said. "As I said before, in hindsight, this is a mistake of mine. …. I did not feel it was a responsibility to have to write down every single match drink I was taking, gel, vitamin that I was taking, even if I took it once during the last seven days. I did not think it was of high importance."

Despite her impending ban Sharapova was included in Russia’s Olympic squad for Rio along with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina. Her place will now be taken by Ekaterina Makarova.

In a March press conference Sharapova admitted she had been taking meldonium since 2006 as part of a treatment prescribed by a trusted family doctor.

“I take great responsibility and professionalism in my job every day. I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let the sport down,” she said.