Maria Sharapova Was Banned for Two Years for Meldonium Use

In March 2016, five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova shocked the tennis world by revealing she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open earlier that year. She tested positive for meldonium, a heart medication that had recently been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances. Sharapova claimed she had been taking the drug for medical reasons since 2006 and was unaware it had been banned. The International Tennis Federation suspended her for two years, though this was reduced to 15 months upon appeal. The case highlighted how even top athletes can fall afoul of anti-doping rules, whether intentionally or through oversight.