Shamil Tarpishchev,the president of the Russian Tennis Federation has declared that Maria Sharapova may never play again as a result of her failed drugs test.
(Sharapova tested positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open).
When asked if Sharapova would play any more tournaments,Tarpishchev told
R-Sport news agency it was "very doubtful" and added that the five-time Grand Slam winner was in a "bad situation".
Sharapova was suspended on 12th March by the International Tennis Federation, shortly after she said she was "determined to play tennis again"
She is currently waiting to hear the full extent of her punishment, which could be as much as a four-year ban.
But experts have said a six month or 12-month suspension is more likely because the World Anti-Doping Association (Wada) admitted in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system.
It even suggested athletes who tested positive for the substance before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January.
However, Sharapova has honestly admitted she continued taking meldonium past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate.
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