Maria Sharapova Faces Four-Year Tennis Suspension After Testing Positive For Banned Substance

Maria Sharapova will likely be banned from tennis for at least two years, an expert has told ABC News.

The 28-year-old Russian – and current world #7 according to the Women’s Tennis Association – today revealed that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open, having tested positive for the drug Mildronate.

At a conference where she was expected to announce her retirement, Sharapova stunned press by sharing the results of her failed drug test.

"I take full responsibility for it," she said, adding, "I let my fans down; I let my sport down that I've been playing since the age of four, that I love so deeply."

"I don't want to end my career this way and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game," she continued.

You can watch the full press conference below.

So, what exactly did she take?

Mildronate, also known as meldonium, is taken to treat ischemia, aiding blood flow to different parts of the body and - here's where the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) ears prick up - helping improve the exercise capacity of athletes. It was added to the WADA's banned list on January 1 this year (following a decision in 2015).

Sharapova claims she had been taking the drug since 2006 to treat her magnesium deficiency and on account of her family history of diabetes. She apparently didn’t realise that meldonium - which had just been added to the banned substance list - was another name for Mildronate.

La Trobe University’s professor of sports medicine, Dr. Peter Brukner, told the ABC that Sharapova would likely spend “at least two years” on the bench as a result of using a banned substance.

However, there is still the possibility that she receives the maximum punishment of four years on the sidelines.

"You can get some remittance from [a ban] for inadvertent use. It is arguable whether this was inadvertent," he said.

"She knew she was taking it and presumably she assumed it was performance-enhancing. The fact she may not have known it was banned probably won't qualify her for that [leeway for inadvertent use].”

Controversial tennis great Jennifer Capriati took to social media to express her outrage with Sharapova, insisting that she be stripped of her titles.

Im extremely angry and disappointed. I had to lose my career and never opted to cheat no matter what.i had to throw in the towel and suffer

— Jennifer Capriati (@JenCapriati) March 7, 2016

i didn't have the high priced team of drs that found a way for me to cheat and get around the system and wait for science to catch up

— Jennifer Capriati (@JenCapriati) March 7, 2016

In my opinion of its all true every title should be stripped. This is other people's lives as well

— Jennifer Capriati (@JenCapriati) March 7, 2016

Soooo, what do you think?

Photo: YouTube.