Former tennis star Jennifer Capriati crushes Maria Sharapova for failed drug test

Jordan Greer

Former tennis star Jennifer Capriati crushes Maria Sharapova for failed drug test image

After Maria Sharapova announced Monday that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open, many in the media and tennis world reacted with sympathy and understanding.

As ESPN's T.J. Quinn pointed out, Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, which had been legal until two months ago. Sharapova's mistake could have been viewed as a minor slip in an otherwise impressive career, but one former tennis star wasn't so forgiving. Hall of Famer Jennifer Capriati ripped Sharapova in a series of tweets after the press conference, and while she never said Sharapova's name, it's clear Capriati was aiming her rant at the Russian star.

MORE: Sharapova through the years | Is Sharapova done?

 

 

 

 

Capriati battled injuries and drug addiction throughout her career on the way to three Grand Slam titles. After struggling for much of the 1990s and even taking a year off from tennis in 1995, she eventually returned to the court and captured the No. 1 ranking in 2002.

It's clear that Sharapova possibly gaining an illegal advantage over her competition struck a nerve with Capriati.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharapova explained she had been taking meldonium since 2006 to help with various health issues and did not realize the substance became illegal at the start of the year.

"I don't want to end my career this way," Sharapova said. "I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game."

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.