Sharapova gets support from Venus, King

Venus Williams and Billie Jean King are the latest grand slam champions to support Maria Sharapova after the Russian was stripped of her ambassadorial role with the United Nations. The revelation has drawn split commentary across the entire sports community, but Serena and Venus Williams have emerged as Sharapova allies. “I think she (Sharapova) has been a role model for a lot of people,” Venus said in Indian Wells. “She has a ton of fans, and I think she has affected a lot of lives in a positive way.

“Hopefully that (a failed drug test) won’t be the end of that.” Her comments came as the International Tennis Federation blasted former French health and sport minister Roselyn Bachelot for accusing Rafael Nadal of failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs.

Bachelot enraged Nadal by claiming the Spaniard’s sevenmonth absence from tennis in 2012-13 was due to a failed test. The ITF said: “Accusations against Rafael Nadal are not only surprising, but also incorrect.”