The last words of the conclusion of the ITF decision:
The contravention of the anti-doping rules was not intentional as Ms Sharapova did not
appreciate that Mildronate contained a substance prohibited from 1 January 2016. However
she does bear sole responsibility for the contravention, and very significant fault, in failing
to take any steps to check whether the continued use of this medicine was permissible. If she
had not concealed her use of Mildronate from the anti-doping authorities, members of her
own support team and the doctors whom she consulted, but had sought advice, then the
contravention would have been avoided. She is the sole author of her own misfortune.
I don't quite agree with that, 2 years is way too long for those 5 matches she played. It kinda feels like they're also counting pre-2016 years she played on meldonium which is illogical since it was legal back then, no matter drug or not.
The ITF spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules and the tribunal concluded I did not. You need to know that the ITF asked the tribunal to suspend me for four years – the required suspension for an intentional violation -- and the tribunal rejected the ITF’s position.
