THE BIG REVIEW: Meldonium

If Maria Sharapova serves a long ban for her use of the prohibited substance meldonium it could be an ignominious end to a sporting fairytale. Sharapova, a former world No.1 and five-time grand slam winner, is in many ways tennis' golden girl. The 28-year-old is sport's richest woman, having earned nearly $US250 million during her career from endorsements, appearances, and royalties, according to Forbes. She earned $US29.5 million in 2015 alone. Brand Sharapova is a marketable force. She is the most followed female athlete on Facebook, with 15 million fans. Off the court Sharapova started her own lolly brand, Sugarpova, in 2012 and wants to develop the company into a lifestyle brand. She currently has endorsement deals with American Express, Avon, Evian, Head, Nike, Porsche, and Tag Heuer. But it could soon go down the toilet just like what happened with Lance Armstrong. This culture of doping will just continue to ruin one sport after another, if a concussion scandal and domestic violence don't get there first like it did the NFL.