(CNN) — Maria Sharapova faces a possible suspension from tennis after she admitted to failing a drug test at the Australian Open.
Sharapova, in a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday, said she had been taking the drug, meldonium, ever since 2006 and didn’t realize that it became a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency at the start of 2016.
Monday’s news could have a severe impact on Brand Sharapova. Sharapova has long been the world’s richest female athlete and has won five grand slam tennis titles.