MARIA Sharapova has been handed a two-year ban for committing an anti-doping violation.
The Russian tennis star tested positive for banned substance meldonium in January and has been told she can't compete for the next two years.
The International Tennis Fedederation (ITF) have backdated the 29-year-old's suspension to the day on which she provided her positive sample, following her quarter-final match at the Australian Open.
Meldonium had been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances in the same month and she has since admitted to taking it and not reading the updated list.
The substance in question is a metabolic modulator, increasing blood flow and therefore improving the exercise capacity of athletes.
The five-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one hasn't played since she tested positive and will not be able to play competitively again until January 25 2018.
An ITF statement read: "An Independent Tribunal appointed under Article 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has found that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme and as a consequence has disqualified the affected results and imposed a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 26 January 2016.
"At a two-day hearing on 18-19 May 2016, the Independent Tribunal received evidence and heard legal arguments from both parties, and subsequently issued a reasoned decision on 8 June, which is available below. The Independent Tribunal determined that:
"1. Ms. Sharapova should serve a period of ineligibility of two years;
"2. Due to her prompt admission of her violation, that period of ineligibility should be back-dated... to commence from 26 January 2016 (the date of sample collection) and so should end at midnight on 25 January 2018
"3. Her results at the 2016 Australian Open should be disqualified, with resulting forfeiture of the ranking points and prize money that she won at that event.
"The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme applies to all players competing at Grand Slam tournaments and events sanctioned by the ITF, ATP, and WTA. Players are tested for substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency and, upon a finding that an Anti-Doping Rule Violation has been committed, sanctions are imposed under the Programme in compliance with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code."
She has won all four of the Grand Slam tournaments, taking the French Open title twice, but is currently ranked at number 26 in the world.
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