Sharapova Hearing on Meldonium Use Scheduled for Next Week

Hearings in the case of Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, who has tested positive for meldonium and was subsequently excluded from the entry list for the French Open tournament, will be held in London on May 18, US media report.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Sports Illustrated Executive Editor Jon Wertheim wrote on Twitter on Friday that "Sharapova hearing [will be held] next week in London." Commenting on the post, Global Sports columnist for the New York Times Christopher Clarey said "May 18th from what I've been told."

In March, Sharapova, Russia's five-time Grand Slam tennis champion, admitted to having tested positive for meldonium, a drug developed in Latvia to treat patients with heart conditions. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added meldonium to its banned substances list on January 1, 2016. The agency considers the drug to be a metabolic modulator that increases athletes' endurance and shortens post-exercise rehabilitation time.

In April, WADA said that less than 1 microgram of meldonium per milliliter in a doping test would be permissible in samples submitted before March 1, 2016.

Russian Tennis Federation President Shamil Tarpischev has said that Sharapova may receive amnesty for meldonium use and will most likely compete in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but the International Tennis Federation must make that decision.

The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, will be held in Paris from May 22 — June 5.