There had been tepid support from rivals (Serena Williams), a fleeing of sponsors (Nike, Porsche), words of encouragement from friends (Novak Djokovic), odd remarks from a fellow swoosh-wearer (Rafael Nadal) and defense from a company that had been with her for years (Head). But until now, no WTA (or ATP) has really come out firing against Maria Sharapova, whose meldonium scandal isn't yet a week old but has already seen as many twists and turns as a Grand Slam final. Enter Kristina Mladenovic.
Speaking to the French paper Le Parisien, the 22-year-old blasted Sharapova, seemingly content to succumb to the gossip of the locker room and throw out the presumption of innocence.
The first part is as scathing of words as Sharapova has heard since her Monday press conference. It suggests that despite initial support from star players, the rest of the tour (especially mid-tier players such as the 29th-ranked Mladenovic) aren't buying it.
The second part of the statement shows the flaws in her argument, however. That's fine that Mladenovic is concerned when she takes an aspirin. Her vigilance means she'd never get caught taking a newly illegal drug, in theory. But this whole thing about taking a drug for 10 years, as Sharapova did with meldonium (and, according to her people, only sporadically for that decade), and suggesting that it was somehow nefarious is flawed thinking.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Like the rest of us, Mladenovic is speculating about things she can't, and doesn't, know. The truth may come out eventually, or perhaps we'll be stuck in this ethical gray area for years. Either Sharapova is a doper or, as she claims (and seems to be backed up by with the 99 other positive tests for the drug is in first 69 days of banning), she simply didn't wade through the anti-doping minutiae and took a drug that was legal four weeks before her positive test.
Mladenovic wasn't done though:
Andddddd there it is. By all accounts, Sharapova is a lone wolf in the WTA locker room, much like Serena Williams was before she became besties with Caroline Wozniacki. It was only a matter of time before Sharapova's iciness became a talking point.
(ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Mladenovic is right in that there's no excuse to defend what Sharapova has done. But there is a reason and if that reason is deemed acceptable by anti-doping agencies, Sharapova could be back sooner rather than later, hopefully playing a match against Kristina Mladenovic.
(ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)
