LONDON: Tennis star Maria Sharapova has been suspended as a goodwill ambassador by the United Nations after admitting she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium at this year’s Australian Open.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP), which Sharapova became a goodwill ambassador of in February 2007, suspended the Russian until the outcome of the investigation into her case is known.

Sharapova’s work with the UN focused mainly on helping survivors of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, but links to her profile on the UN’s official website (www.un.org) were not working on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2016