Tennis Star, Maria Sharapova Admits To Using Banned Drugs; Loses Nike Endorsement Deal

Nike has suspended its relationship with Maria Sharapova hours after she admitted she had tested positive for a banned substance. The five-times Grand Slam champion dropped the bombshell at a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel, confessing she had been caught out by tennis’s anti-doping operation on Monday night.

The highest earning athlete in any female sport said that she had been found to have taken Mildronate which was prohibited from January 1 this year and has been taking it for 10 years.

And just hours later, she lost her most lucrative deal – an eight-year contract extended in 2010 for a reported $70million with sportswear brand Nike.

The International Tennis Federation has confirmed the star will be provisionally suspended from the sport from March 12.