hey all! any Maria Sharapova fans here? i saw the news said that she is going to retire after the Australian Open 2014, cause she is going to get marry soon. is that true??? oh nooo i still wanna watch her competition laaaa... see she's wearing a ring!!!
Really @mariasharapova gonna retired?? The news can be trut?? But anyway if she retired also she is now ambassador for so many brand such as Nike, Tag, Samsung even Porsche auto mobiles! I also like to wath she playing game and the cloths she wear is just #MadeFor her, no one can replace her place in arena tennis! [video=youtube;s9HL2veTvuM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9HL2veTvuM[/video]
@Maria sharapova marry soon? with [FONT=&]Grigor Dimitrov?? i think is a good news #madefor her..she success in her career n now even love..happy to hear that..i admire her lifestyle she try to make herself involve not only sport but also business and fashion world.. [/FONT][FONT=&] [/FONT]
[MENTION=8444]Maria[/MENTION] sharapova marry soon?? with [FONT="]Grigor Dimitrov?? i think this is a good news #made for her .. she success in her career n now even love..i m admire her lifestyle she not only involved in sports but also in fashion n business world... [/FONT][FONT="] [/FONT]
Retire because of getting married? Doesn't make sense especially his boyfriend ranks in the mid 20's and she makes way more money than him. She doesn't need to retire even after married.
maria sharapova..from the photos can c her look quite sexy n pretty..i m so curious y u all discussing about her ..i noe she is coming to Malaysia for some local tennis competition….heard that celcom that sponsor her..ok,now celcom sponsor her and before that she do tie up with nike,samsung..cool!!
haha no la she is the new ambassador for Celcom First Elite la...new stuff from Celcom lo..they offer extra svs for their elite customer lo..just like HSBC Premier cust lo... anyway here's the details for those who like to treated like a super star!!! www.celcom.com.my/personal/plans/elite
haha no la she is the new ambassador for Celcom First Elite la...new stuff from Celcom lo..they offer extra svs for their elite customer lo..just like HSBC Premier cust lo... anyway here's the details for those who like to treated like a super star!!! celcom.com.my/personal/plans/elite
Doping now shadows Sharapova’s rags-to-riches story Sharapova, a five-time major champion, is currently the 7th ranked player on the WTA tour. Sharapova, withdrew from this week’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells due to injury. Photo: Getty Images/AFP Published: 7:05 AM, March 8, 2016 LOS ANGELES — From the shadow of Chernobyl’s nuclear wasteland to international super-stardom; from penniless arrival in the United States, without a word of English, to a fortune nudging the US$200 million (S$276 million) mark. It may sound like the stuff of Hollywood dreams, but the story of Maria Sharapova, the world’s richest sportswoman, is a testament to the power of one individual to make it, whatever the odds. The ending of the story is now shrouded in doubt after the Russian-born star announced on Monday she had failed a drug test. She said she wants to stay in tennis — the sport that has made her rich beyond her wildest dreams even as her talent has arguably gone unfulfilled. Sharapova has won five Grand Slam titles, but her great rival, Serena Williams, has 21 and is still playing. And when she shot to international fame as a giggly 17-year-old Wimbledon winner in 2004 — the third youngest to conquer the All England Club — no one would have thought that that would remain her only title on the lawns of southwest London. She would go on to win once in Australia and once at the US Open while claiming two titles at the French Open, despite famously likening her movement on Roland Garros’s crushed red brick as a “cow on ice”, Sharapova first picked up a racquet at the age of four when she was living in Sochi, where her Belarus-born parents had settled after escaping the deadly clutches of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Spotted by Martina Navratilova, Sharapova was encouraged to move to Nick Bollettieri’s Florida academy, the proving ground of Andre Agassi and Monica Seles. Father Yuri and the seven-year-old Maria left for the US in 1994 with just a borrowed US$700 to their names. “I was living a normal, average, everyday life back in Russia and we had a dream and I had a talent and we moved to the US,” she recalled. Yuri took odd jobs like dishwashing to finance his daughter’s dreams while visa restrictions meant mother Yelena was back in Russia, separated from her daughter for two years. When she was nine, the mighty IMG group spotted her talent, funded the $35,000 fees required for the Bollettieri school and the young Maria was on her way. WIMBLEDON CELEBRITY She made her professional debut at 14 in 2001 and by 2003 she reached the top 50. She won her first tour titles in Japan and Quebec. Then in 2004, her world turned upside down as her Wimbledon final triumph over Williams made her an overnight international celebrity. One year later, she became the first Russian woman to be ranked at number one in the world while, in 2006, she won her second major at the US Open. But in 2007 and 2008, she began her long, on-off battle with shoulder trouble. She still had time to win the Australian Open before a second shoulder injury kept her off tour for the second half of the season, including missing the US Open and Beijing Olympics. A 10-month absence from the sport, as she recuperated from surgery, saw her ranking slip to 126, but she was back in 2012, capturing the French Open to become the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam and adding Olympic silver to her resume that year. Her 2014 French Open title was another high after a dispiriting injury low. More injury troubles followed before the bombshell announcement of her positive test for the banned heart drug Meldonium at the Australian Open — where she fell in the quarter-finals to Williams. SERENA RIVALRY With Williams, she endured her most testing relationship. The two famously exchanged personal barbs over their private lives when Sharapova began a two-year romance with Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov, a rumoured previous boyfriend of the American. Sharapova had previously been engaged to former Los Angeles Laker basketball star Sasha Vujacic. She may be unlucky in love, but Sharapova has hit the jackpot in her commercial affairs. She made almost US$30 million in 2015, according to Forbes, with $23 million of that coming from endorsements. Sharapova is a brand ambassador for Porsche, Cole Haan and in 2010 signed a contract extension with Nike worth a reported US$70 million. “Beauty sells. I have to realise that’s a part of why people want me. I understand it. It’s fine. I’m not going to make myself ugly,” she said. She has two luxury homes — one in Florida, one in California — and is making a lucrative career as an entrepreneur. In 2012, she launched her own line of candy, Sugarpova, selling 30,000 bags in the first six months. She acknowledged in Melbourne that she never expected still to be playing tennis at the age of 28, but said Monday she wasn’t ready to leave the game. “I don’t want to end my career this way,” Sharapova said. “And I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.” AFP
What is Meldonium? Why is Sharapova in trouble? Maria Sharapova of Russia reaches for a backhand return to Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. AP file photo Published: 9:25 AM, March 8, 2016 Updated: 10:13 AM, March 8, 2016 LOS ANGELES — Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova’s tense admission that she failed a dope test at the Australian Open shone a spotlight on Meldonium, added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list this year. Sharapova said on Monday (March 7) she had taken the drug on medical advice since 2006 under the name mildronate for a variety of symptoms. RelatedNews Tennis star Sharapova faces suspension after she admits failing drug test March 8 Although she said she took it for health reasons, and not as a performance enhancer, she became the most high-profile athlete to test positive for the drug used to treat ischemia, a lack of blood flow to parts of the body. The drug is manufactured in Latvia and prescribed to treat heart disease, although it is not approved by US regulators. The increase in blood flow it produces could improve endurance and recovery time after exercise and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) moved it from the “monitored” to the “prohibited” drugs list “because of evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance,” the anti-doping body said in a statement. The ban approved last September came into effect on January 1. WADA declared the decision on its website more than three months before the ban, and it was also announced by the Russian anti-doping agency. Sharapova said she received an e-mail from WADA linking to information that meldonium would be banned ahead of the 2016 season but did not read the information at the time. Sharapova says she has been taking the drug for 10 years for numerous health issues. Before Sharapova’s shock announcement in Los Angeles, Olympic gold medalist ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova confirmed she had tested positive for Meldonium at the European Championships in January. Ukrainian biathletes Artem Tyshchenko and Olga Abramova have also tested positive, Abramova saying she had been prescribed the drug for heart trouble. This month reports surfaced that Endeshaw Negesse, the Ethiopian winner of last year’s Tokyo Marathon, had tested positive for the drug. In February, Sweden’s Ethiopian born Abebe Aregawi, the 2013 women’s 1500m world champion was provisionally suspended for a failed test. AGENCIES ATHLETE PROFILE Born: April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, Russia GRAND SLAM TITLES: Five: Wimbledon (2004); U.S. Open (2006); Australian Open (2008); French Open (2012, 2014) MAKING HER NAME - Born in Siberia, moves to Black Sea coastal resort of Sochi aged two. - Moves to Florida in 1996 to train at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton. Sharapova’s father Yuri, armed with just $700, moves to U.S. with her. Her mother Yelena has to stay in Russia due to visa restrictions. - Turns professional in 2001. TENNIS CAREER - Wins first tour title at Tokyo in 2003. Finishes inside top-50 for first time. - Becomes first Russian woman to win Wimbledon in 2004 aged 17, beating holder Serena Williams 6-1 6-4 in the final. - In August 2005 becomes first Russian woman to reach the top of the world rankings. - Wins her second grand slam after defeating second seed Justine Henin 6-4 6-4 in the 2006 U.S. Open final. - Beats Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-5 6-3 in 2008 to win her third grand slam title, and first Australian Open. - Regains number one ranking by beating Petra Kvitova in the French Open semi-finals in 2012 before defeating Sara Errani 6-3 6-2 in the final to complete her collection of grand slam trophies. - Wins a silver medal in her Olympic debut at the 2012 Games in London, losing the final against Serena Williams 6-0 6-1. - Wins fifth grand slam title at 2014 French Open. OTHER NOTES - Has shoulder surgery in 2008 followed by a nine-month injury layoff. - Misses second half of 2013 season with a shoulder injury. - Is the richest woman in sport and with more than 15 million fans, she is the most followed female athlete on Facebook.
Wow. How many other athletes are taking these so called alternate PED's that are not (yet) banned but still enhances performance without having any medical indications at all? I guess some people will go to any length to stretch the boundaries of the law. Sure seems to indicate whichever athlete who doesn't take advantage of these gray area loopholes are losers.
i don't see any grey area loopholes here. Meldonium, added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list this year and was perfectly legal before that. where were the loopholes?
“because of evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance,” That applies to health supplements, right?
Nike and TAG Heuer ditch Maria Sharapova after failed drugs test Nike and TAG Heuer ditch Maria Sharapova after failed drugs test Bryan Harris in Hong Kong and John Murray Brown in London ©Reuters More ON THIS STORY Instant Insight Sharapova and her returns Match-fixing is battle of new technologies Corruption in world athletics ‘embedded’ Coe breaks link with Nike A brand named Maria Sign up now FirstFT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories from across the web Three of Maria Sharapova’s biggest corporate sponsors have suspended their contracts with the Russian tennis star after the former world number one revealed she had failed a drugs test at the Australian Open in January. Sportswear group Nike and Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer said they had dropped their sponsorships, while carmaker Porsche said it would “postpone planned activities” with the player until further details were released. Ms Sharapova — the world’s highest-paid female athlete — announced on Monday that she had tested positive for meldonium, an endurance-enhancing drug. “I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it,” said the 28-year-old, who stormed on to the world stage in 2004 when she won Wimbledon aged 17. “I know that with this, I face consequences,” she added. “I don’t want to end my career this way. I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.” Instant Insight The savvy Maria Sharapova is aware of her diminishing returns The deciding point could be that tennis and its backers can do without her, says Andrew Hill A rash of sports scandals has left sponsors increasingly nervous about the value of their deals with sports and individual athletes. Last month, Fifa, world football’s governing body, said its troubles had left a $550m hole in its budget though lost commercial opportunities. Adidas, the sportswear group, has ended its sponsorship deal with the IAAF, the world athletics body plagued by doping scandals. Nike alone has cancelled deals with Oscar Pistorious, the South African Paralympian convicted of killing his girlfriend, Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxer who made homophobic comments, Lance Armstrong, the cycling drug cheat, and Ray Rice, the American football player who physically abused his wife. Ms Sharapova said she had been taking the drug under its alternative name, mildronate, for the past 10 years for health reasons and that she had not known the substance was banned. Meldonium was added on January 1 to the list of substances banned by the International Tennis Federation, world tennis’s governing body, following a decision last September. The ITF said it would suspend Ms Sharapova with effect from Saturday March 12, pending “determination” of the case. Guidelines from the body call for a four-year suspension in the event of a positive drug test, although this can be reduced for first-time offences or if the player bears no fault or negligence. Nike said it was “saddened and surprised” by the news. “We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues,” it said in a statement. Ms Sharapova has long been considered sport’s biggest female brand, topping Forbes’ ranking of the world’s highest-paid female athletes in each of the past 11 years. TAG Heuer said in a statement: “Maria Sharapova was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31, 2015. 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.” Porsche said: “We regret the current news about Maria Sharapova. Until further details emerge and we are able to analyse the situation, we have decided to suspend planned activities.” The star is also sponsored by Evian, owned by French group Danone, which also said it was “surprised” by the announcement. The tie-up with Evian began in 2012 and Danone said that “until now, we have maintained a trustworthy, professional relationship. Evian attaches great importance to health, integrity and to transparency, and we will follow closely the development of the investigation.” Avon, another sponsor, declined to comment. Ms Sharapova receives more than $20m in annual endorsements, a figure that dwarfs her 2015 prize money by a multiple of six. FT Magazine Brand Maria Sharapova May 2015: Maria Sharapova is the best-paid female athlete in the world, with a flair for business that has made her one of tennis’s biggest brands The deals gave the companies image rights for billboards and magazines, and also access to Ms Sharapova’s vast presence on social media. The tennis player has more than 15m followers on Facebook and 2m on Twitter, as well as having her own app. John Haggerty, Ms Sharapova’s lawyer, said she “did not pick up” that the substance was banned at the time of the Melbourne tournament, where she lost in the quarter-finals to world number one Serena Williams. “We are attempting to have a conversation with ITF up front because we think there is a laundry list of extremely mitigating circumstances that once taken into consideration would result in dramatically reducing any sanction that they might want to impose on Maria,” he told the US magazine Sports Illustrated. Patrick Nally, a consultant specialising in sports marketing, said he had been a little surprised at the speed with which some sponsors were dropping her. “She has taken the initiative and been upfront, holding a press conference,” he said. “But it’s clearly a cheap way for a sponsor to get out of an arrangement. All companies and brands are nervous at the moment and I suppose they want to distance themselves from another drug scandal.” Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, was quoted by the country’s Tass news agency saying on Tuesday that there would be more cases of Russian sports people using meldonium. He also said the ministry had warned Russian sports people that meldonium was outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Ms Sharapova is not the first sports star to be dropped by Nike in recent weeks. The group ended its contract with Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao last month after he described same-*** couples as “worse than animals”, comments that Nike described as “abhorrent”.
Pro sports is in danger of losing it's honour when many well regarded top athletes are actively looking for every little edge in PED's to be better than their opponents. It's good that there's WADA to ensure everyone is on a level playing field. Unfortunately there are still some players who will want to win at all costs. And it becomes a cat and mouse game with WADA.
