Sardonicus On... The Disappointment of Maria Sharapova

The fallout from Maria Sharapova's positive doping test at this year's Australian Open - and subsequent 2-year ban from professional tennis yesterday - continues to rock the tennis world. Tennis, as a sport, had previously turned a blind or at best idealistic eye to doping amongst its top ranks. The odd 'bad egg' such as American Wayne Odesnik or an obscure Challengers level player would serve a ban, the sport would pat itself on the back, insist these incidents were isolated and unlikely to be repeated by enough players to be a worry, and mention the 'strength' of tennis' anti-doping controls and the fact that a skill-based sport such as tennis didn't have a use for PED's - 'there's nothing you can take to make the ball land inside the lines', they'd chirp.

That's since been shown to be dangerously blinkered thinking. The media have slowly but surely began to open their eyes to the weakness of the sport's anti-doping policies, including a lack of out-of-competition testing and insufficient numbers of tests in-tournament. Top players such as Roger Federer vocalised concerns that they weren't being tested enough, smart observers pointed out the fallacy of the 'skills' argument (a 4-hour match is a much a test of stamina, fitness and concentration as it is technique), whispers of a culture of 'Omerta' in the tennis community - similar to that in cycling in the early 2000's - began to get louder and more common. The stage was set for the downfall of a big name - the sport's own Lance Armstrong. Few, however, might have suspected it to the world's highest paid female athlete. Even fewer would have expected Sharapova's downfall to have happened in the manner that it did.

Maria Sharapova's stunning victory at Wimbledon at the age of 17 set her on a decade-long path of fame, adulation and sporting glory. A further 4 major titles followed, and Sharapova became one of just ten women to have completed the Career Grand Slam of all 4 major events. Off-court Sharapova proved even more successful - the attractive, personable blonde signed lucrative endorsement deals with a host of top brands and even launched her own candy company, Sugarpova. Every year since 2004, Sharapova's earnings dwarfed those of any other female athlete in any sport, including her most bitter rival, Serena Williams (who Sharapova has not beaten since 2004).

Throughout, Sharapova maintained an image as the consummate professional - always ready with an easy smile and a polished answer, but as on message, focussed and as emotionally distant as any professional businesswoman. Sharapova's long-term manager, Max Eisenbud, mentioned in more than one interview that Sharapova was so cautious about maintaining her image and good relationships with sponsors that she would even peel the labels off water bottles on nights out to prevent being photographed with a brand she didn't endorse.

Up until this year, that image never wavered. Maria was a ruthless ice queen on the court; a sponsor's dream off it. This was all shattered the moment she neglected to check the updated banned substances list for 2016. WADA had added meldonium, a medication for angina patients produced in Latvia which increases stamina and athletic performance.

Although Sharapova immediately went into damage control mode, calling a press conference admitting to the usage of the medication for a decade for health reasons, the downfall for the Russian was sealed the moment she didn't check her emails. This one administrative error killed off the carefully cultivated image of Sharapova as the ultimate professional in control of everything. Instead, she has appeared increasingly desperate, clumsy and almost amateurish in her approach - amongst the damning indictments in the PDF released by the ITF detailing the hearings regarding her doping case were admittances that she had left the checking of the doping list to her agent, and the fact that she had concealed her usage of the drug from her entire team save her father and agent.

The other aspect of Sharapova that was killed off for good - and the disappointment I am referring to as a fan of the sport - is the image of Sharapova as a champion who fought like a tiger for a win and was as mentally tough as they came. Even if you were not a fan - I certainly wasn't - you respected her as being one of the game's great champions. Her record in majors, on the tour and in 3-set matches all spoke for themselves.  Now, considering that Sharapova appears to have used meldonium as a PED before most matches, most of her career, all that comes into question. How can someone be perceived as being one of the toughest or best fighters of her generation now we know she had a likely edge over most of her opponents with regards physical stamina and endurance?

Legally, the only tournament that Sharapova committed a wrong was the Australian Open 2016. Meldonium was not banned prior to 2016. Ethically, morally, she has been proven wanting. The most shocking evidence of the hearing emerged in emails from her doctor to Sharapova. His advice to up her dosage of meldonium to 3 to 4 pills before big matches removes all doubt that her usage of the drug was purely to gain an edge. Legal or not, it leaves a taint upon all of her glittering acheivements that time will not erase. An asterisk will likely be placed next to many of Sharapova's career victories - the element of 'what-if' around every close match will remain.

Tennis is always bigger than any one player. The sport will survive and move on. The disappointment of Maria Sharapova, however, is not just the destruction of her carefully manufactured public image or meldonium enhanced career achievements. It's the loss to the sport of one of its defining characteristics - the cycle of every generation producing a tough, iconic, great champion. 

Tennis history books may continue to record her as a champion, but the events of 2016 have reclassified her career to one where shadiness, underhand tactics and doubt play as much a part as talent, hard work and fight. As a tennis fan, that's a real shame, but in the closing words of the ITF's report - 'She is the sole author of her own misfortune'. A sad day for the sport.