LONDON — Racket firm Head intends to extend its contract with five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova despite her failing a drugs test at this year's Australian Open, CEO Johan Eliasch said on Thursday.
The 28-year-old Russian will be provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from this weekend after she admitted at a news conference on Monday taking the banned substance meldonium.
Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer cut ties with Sharapova this week, while Nike and Porsche have distanced themselves from her.
However, Eliasch said Sharapova, under contract with Head since 2011, had 'earned the benefit of the doubt' after making an 'honest' mistake.