Maria Sharapova‘s meldonium ban took her away from the WTA Tour for 15 months, but it also should extend her career to one more Olympics in Tokyo, her agent said, according to CNN.
“If [the suspension] didn’t happen, this probably would have been her last year,” said Sharapova’s agent, Max Eisenbud, according to the report. “I think she’ll play through Tokyo [if healthy].”
Sharapova, set to return from her ban next month, received a “third career” due to the forced break that allowed her body to heal from an accumulation of injuries, Eisenbud said, according to CNN.