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Maria Sharapova thanks fans for their support and vows to return to tennis

Maria Sharapova has thanked her fans for their support and vowed to return to tennis in a statement which comes two days after she announced she had failed a drugs test at the Australian Open.

In a post on her official Facebook page, Sharapova said: "I am determined to play tennis again and I hope I will have the chance to do so. I wish I didn't have to go through this, but I do - and I will."

It comes after the Russian told a press conference she took "full responsibility" for testing positive to meldonium, a substance she had been taking to treat "health issues" since 2006.

The 28-year-old told reporters she was not aware the medicine had been banned on January 1st 2016.

She has been provisionally suspended with effect from March 12 by the International Tennis Federation.

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Meldonium meant for 'four to six weeks' use at a time

Maria Sharapova has admitted taking Mildonate, aka Meldonium, which became a banned substance for athletes early this year Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/ Reuters

Meldonium, the newly banned substance former world tennis number one Maria Sharapova has admitted to taking for 10 years, is reportedly only meant to be used for 'four to six weeks' at a time.

According to a statement emailed to the Associated Press the manufacturers of the drug said it is usually only administered for a short time but prescriptions can be repeated two or three times a year under medical advisement.

It is unclear whether Sharapova took the drug consistently for long periods over the last decade or whether the use of the substance was intermittent.

Depending on the patient's health condition, treatment course of meldonium preparations may vary from four to six weeks.

Treatment course can be repeated twice or thrice a year. Only physicians can follow and evaluate patient's health condition and state whether the patient should use meldonium for a longer period of time.

– Meldonium manufacturer Grindeks
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Maria Sharapova thanks fans for their support and vows to return to tennis

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