You Won’t See Maria Sharapova Promoting A Porsche Any Time Soon
It’s looking like the doping scandal tennis star Maria Sharapova is embroiled in will be costly to more than just her tennis career. The former World Number 1 admitted in a press conference on Monday that she had failed a drugs test earlier in the year, and as well as facing a multi-year ban from tennis, Sharapova’s lucrative commercial contracts are now under threat.
Tag Heuer has announced that it won’t be renewing her contract, while Nike - a company she signed a $70 million, eight year contract with in 2010 - has suspended its relationship with the 28-year-old Russian. Porsche has done the same, stating that its deal with Sharapova - which started in 2013 - will be suspended “until further details are released and we can analyze the situation.” Given that it was a three year deal she signed in 2013, it’s highly likely her contract won’t be renewed.
The drug at the centre of all this is Meldonium, which Sharapova says she’s been taking for the last 10 years due to a magnesium deficiency and a family history of diabetes. However, the substance made it on to the banned list for the first time this year, as evidence shows that it has been used as a performance enhancing drug by athletes.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
well that’s dumb, GG regulations, GG
once again ruining things
So…Porsche might do a good thing and get either Kate Upton or Charlotte McKinney?
Matt didn’t you draw the lucky straw on this one, bet it was terrible having to look at all those pictures of Maria in front of Porsche’s :P
While there is no excuse for breaking the rules if she has be genuinely using Meldonium for the last 10 years due to irregularities in a EKG, magnesium deficiencies and family health issues the punishment should be reduced. Assuming the claims can be backed up by records and medical evaluations. Besides what an oversight that no one on the entire team noticed that it had been added to the WADA list of banned substances even if it was under a different name.
If I was with her, my pull out game would be weak..
i dont understand why they need girls standing next to a car if you go to a car show you go for the cars not the women
you’re right, but that Bonus, though! ;)
Just like any sport. There always will be some dirty politics to mess it up, so other ‘legal’ (because havent been checked as they should have been) but less capable athletes, which happen to be sponsored by companies with bigger cough balls will be able to overcome them.
Few examples are:Hunt/Lauda 70’s, Mazda’s rotary, Almost all of Lotus’ aero invovations, Renault WIlliam’s electronic suspension. Bulgarian olympic weightlifting team 2008, most of time in late UFC events.
And in theese days its all about this marketing PR thing … which can affect only stupid and ignorant people. but they cant afford your cars anyway, so shame on you Porsche!
You see kids, even when you’re honest you get punished just as much.
Porsche uses forced induction. Hypocrites