Nike, Porsche suspends ties with Sharapova, TAG Heuer won't renew contract after failed drug test
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Updated 08/03/2016 at 10:34 GMT
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova said on Monday she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open due to a substance she was taking for health issues, leading longtime sponsor Nike to announce it was suspending ties during the investigation.
Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova speakes with her fans during her visit to Nike's sports shop
Image credit: AFP
The 28-year-old Sharapova, a five-time grand slam champion and the highest paid woman in sports, will be provisionally suspended starting March 12, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.
Nike, the world's largest sportswear maker, said it was "saddened and surprised" by the news and released a statement saying it was putting ties on hold with the player.
"We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues," it said.
Watchmakers TAG Heuer also pulled their support for the tennis star.
"Maria Sharapova was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31, 2015," a statement read. "We had been in talks to extend our collaboration. In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations, and has decided not to renew the contract with Ms Sharapova."
Car giants Porsche were next to follow:
Evian are among her other big endorsements, along with Avon cosmetics who are making no decision yet.
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Sharapova: ‘I made a huge mistake... I don’t want my career to end in this way’
Huge earnings taking a hit
Sharapova has only won two Grand Slam titles since 2008 - the French Open in 2012 and 2014 - but she is the highest-paid woman in sports thanks to her huge endorsements. Her earnings of £26m last year made her the highest-earning female athlete for each of the past 11 years, and her total money earned off the court is estimated at around $200m. Now all this is at risk.
Nike and TAG Heuer have already suspended their partnerships with the Russian, with Forbes outlining the impact this could have on her earnings.
Nike has been Sharapova’s biggest backer since she was a teen and her world-rank was in the 200s. She has her own line of clothing at the $31-billion sportswear giant. She reaped millions of dollars with her ballet flat, which was the No. 1 female shoe at Nike subsidiary Cole Haan (Nike sold Cole Haan in 2013 and the royalty deal ended for Sharapova). She extended her Nike deal at the start of 2010. The eight-year pact could be worth as much as $70 million, including royalties.
'I take full responsibilty'
Sharapova is the seventh athlete in a month to test positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium, and was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as of January 1.
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Maria Sharapova speaks to the media announcing a failed drug test after the Australian Open during a press conference today at The LA Hotel Downtown.
Image credit: Reuters
"I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down and I let the sport down," said Sharapova, a teenage tennis prodigy who became the third-youngest Wimbledon champion.
"I take full responsibility for it.
"I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game."
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The ITF's anti-doping program calls for a four-year suspension for a positive test, but that ban can be reduced in various circumstances, such as for first-time offences or if the player shows no significant fault or negligence.
If a player bears no fault or negligence, there is no suspension.
Sharapova is the most prominent tennis player to test positive for a banned substance in recent years.
Croatia's Marin Cilic was banned for nine months in 2013 after testing positive for a prohibited stimulant, though the suspension was cut to four months on appeal.
Former world number one Martina Hingis retired after receiving a two-year suspension for a positive cocaine test in 2007, though the Swiss denied taking the drug.
Last year, the sport banned U.S. player Wayne Odesnik for 15 years after his second doping violation, testing positive for steroids and other banned substances.
Rumours of retirement prove off the mark
The news came a day after Sharapova's management team said she was going to make a "major announcement," which had many speculating that she was going to announce her retirement from professional tennis.
Sharapova, who has struggled with a series of injuries in recent years, has not competed since she lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.
Renowned for her never-say-die approach, a gritty baseline game and high-decibel shrieking, Sharapova at 17 became the first Russian woman to win Wimbledon when she beat Serena Williams 6-1 6-4 in the 2004 final.
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Maria Sharapova Serena Williams 2004 Wimbledon
Image credit: AFP
That victory also made her the third-youngest Wimbledon champion, behind only Lottie Dod and Hingis, and the fourth-youngest grand slam winner in the open era after Hingis, Monica Seles and Tracy Austin.
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