Maria Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in January. It's been nine months later, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport cut her ban of two years by nine months. Sharapova will now be eligible to compete in tennis tournaments again in April - leaving her free for the French Open next year.
Strangely though, her sponsors are celebrating the news a bit too loudly
Congratulations to @MariaSharapova! #WeStoodWithMaria #headtennis pic.twitter.com/NXGLvl4wzr
— HEAD Tennis (@head_tennis) October 4, 2016
Sharapova's biggest endorsement deals are with Head, Nike, Porsche & Evian. Here is Evian's statement pic.twitter.com/bRNJqSjzWT
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 4, 2016
Given that today's ruling still doesn't completely clear Sharapova of wrongdoing, some people have blasted Head especially for their approach to the news:
Someone needs to tell @head_tennis their account has been hacked. This is not the action of a sane company, is it? https://t.co/FviQub1iyg
— Dan Griffey (@dangriffey) October 4, 2016
. @head_tennis @MariaSharapova standing by a convicted doper. How can anyone celebrate that?
— Ciaran O Conluain (@LoveCycling) October 4, 2016
congratulating yourselves for standing by a banned athlete? Yeah, well done...
— Ed Wilson (@ed_wilson87) October 4, 2016
what the actual! So its ok to take banned drugs then ?
— TwentyTwentyTwo-T7🏁🏎🏍🚗⚽🏉🏴🎾🇺🇦 (@Krustylicious) October 4, 2016
congratulations after a drug ban??? You got to be kidding
— Andy Morgan (@Morgan1975Andy) October 4, 2016
Head have since released a statement on the result of the CAS findings:
Statement from HEAD CEO, Johan Eliasch on CAS ruling on Maria #Sharapova pic.twitter.com/1JyKjgVo9B
— HEAD Tennis (@head_tennis) October 4, 2016
