Eugenie Bouchard didn’t hold back after being asked about Maria Sharapova’s return to tennis ahead of the Stuttgart Open.
Eugenie Bouchard says ‘cheater’ Maria Sharapova should be permanently banned from tennis
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
“She’s a cheater, and so to me — I mean, I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. So, I just think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids. Cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms. So I don’t think that’s right and definitely not someone I can say I look up to anymore because it’s definitely ruined it for me a little bit.”
Sharapova’s ban occurred in 2016 after testing positive for a drug used for heart conditions called “meldonium.” It’s a drug used readily in parts of eastern Europe, but was added to the WTA’s list of banned substances in 2015.
The former women’s No. 1 claimed she’d been using the drug for six years due to health conditions, and failed to see it was added to the list of banned substances. Initially the WTA handed down a two-year ban from tennis, but reduced the ban in late 2016 to 15 months, allowing her to return to the court on April 26.
