Maria Sharapova Reveals Positive Drug Test: Twitter Reacts to Announcement

The tennis world was rocked Monday when former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova revealed she had tested positive for a banned substance at the 2016 Australian Open.

The Russia native held a press conference to confirm reports:

Seven News Perth noted the revelation was particularly shocking considering Sharapova had been expected to announce her retirement at the press conference:

The 28-year-old made it to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before she was defeated by eventual finalist Serena Williams 6-4, 6-1.

The Daily Telegraph's James Corrigan reacted to those who thought Sharapova's admission was an admirable show of character:

Tennis writer Chris Goldsmith pointed out the substance Sharapova tested positive for, meldonium, was prohibited only at the beginning of this year:

Sharapova has struggled with injuries in recent years and won just two Grand Slam titles since the 2008 Australian Open.

Rob Harris of the Associated Press provided a statement from the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme:

Sharapova isn't the only athlete to test positive for meldonium, however, as the Daily Telegraph's Rob Crilly and Luke Brown reported Monday that Russian ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova, among others, tested positive for the substance.

The Telegraph's Oliver Brown broke down the punishment Sharapova could expect to see:

A four-year ban—if Sharapova's found to have taken the substance with the intention of improving her performance—could well mean the end of her career since it would rule her out of action until 2020.

Sky News correspondent Paul Kelso reported Sharapova had been using the previously legal meldonium for a decade:

BBC host Andrew Castle pointed out how odd it is for a professional athlete and their support staff to not check which substances were and weren't legal:

MTV writer Brian Phillips took a more relaxed approach to the breach of International Tennis Federation law:

"

Initial takeaway from the Sharapova press conference is that meldonium sounds great and I would like to try some please.

— Brian Phillips (@brianphillips) March 7, 2016"

The recent change in regards to the status of the substance perhaps make this a difficult case, but Sharapova's positive test came nearly a month after the drug was outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The forthcoming investigation will discern if Sharapova took meldonium to improve her performance and, in turn, how long her absence from the tennis spotlight will be.