Maria Sharapova's doping ban cut to 15 months
![Maria Sharapova was initially banned for two years. Picture: Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/legacy_elm_49799655.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Maria Sharapova was initially banned for two years. Picture: Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images](/img/placeholder.png)
Maria Sharapova has had her doping ban reduced from two years to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 29-year-old tested positive for the heart-boosting drug meldonium in January at the Australian Open and was given a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in June.
But CAS, sport’s highest court, announced it has reduced that by nine months, meaning the five-time grand slam winner will be eligible to play again on April 26, 2017, four weeks before the French Open.