Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova disputed critics who say she received five warnings about changes to tennis anti-doping rules, which should have prevented her positive drug test.
In a post on her Facebook page on March 11, Sharapova said she received one clear notice in December titled "Main Changes to the Tennis Anti-Doping Program for 2016."
"I should have paid more attention to it. But the other 'communications'? They were buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts," she wrote.
Once the world's top tennis player and still the world's highest earning female athlete, Sharapova announced on March 7 that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January.
Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list on January 1.
On Facebook, Sharapova said she wanted to set the record straight because of the misinformation going around.
"I am determined to fight back," she said. "No excuses, but it's wrong to say I was warned five times."
