Grigor Dimitrov suggested his former partner Maria Sharapova deserved her ban from tennis for a doping violation.

Sharapova tested positive for the illegal substance meldonium after this year's Australian Open, but claimed to be unaware it had been outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as of January 1.

The Russian was handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation, which she accused of trying to make an example of her after seeing her suspension reduced to 15 months on Tuesday following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sharapova will be eligible to return to competition in April 2017, and former boyfriend Dimitrov backed her to shine.

However, the Bulgarian appeared to suggest that the sanctions imposed on the former world number one were warranted.

Dimitrov, currently competing at the China Open, said: "I think tennis misses her. As a competitor she's just going to come back and she's going to be so hungry to play and excited and motivated.

"If you do something, I mean obviously there are circumstances. And whoever does something deserves what he gets for sure."