OMNISPORT
Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years after failing a drugs test at the Australian Open, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has confirmed.
Grand Slam champion Sharapova was provisionally banned by the ITF in March after testing positive for meldonium in Melbourne.
Meldonium was added to WADA's prohibited list at the start of the year, a move Sharapova claimed to be unaware of.
The ban is backdated to 26 January 2016, rendering Sharapova ineligible to compete for the next 18 months, pending an appeal.
Sharapova already has announced she will launch an immediate appeal.
The tennis star responded to the suspension on her Facebook page: 
