Sponsors cut ties with Maria Sharapova after failed drug test

After her admission that she failed a drug test, Maria Sharapova’s sponsors have decided to distance themselves from the tennis star.

As we reported, Sharapova held a press conference on March 7 and admitted that she failed a drug test at January’s Australian Open for the drug Meldonium. Now, the athlete’s major sponsors Nike, TAG Heuer and Porsche have cut ties with her.

The Associated Press noted that TAG Heuer announced it would not renew its contract with Sharpova and Porsche chose to “postpone” any upcoming commitments it had with her. Furthermore, Nike said that the company has suspended its relationship with the five-time Grand Slam winner.

"We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova," Nike said in a statement. "We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation."

Sharapova had taken Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, for the past decade, however, it was recently added to the list of banned substances in tennis. Sharapova revealed that she never checked the updated list of those prohibited substances and therefore failed the doping test.