Maria Sharapova has told fans she is "counting the days" until she returns to tennis next spring after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her two-year doping ban to just 15 months.

Maria Sharapova has vowed to appeal the two-year suspension handed to her for failing a drugs test at the Australian Open.

“Doping is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport. The spirit of sport is the intrinsic value of sport. The spirit of sport is the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind, and is the pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each person’s natural talents. The spirit of sport is characterised, amongst other values, by ethics, fair play, honesty, health, teamwork, dedication and commitment, respect for rules and laws, respect for self and other participants, courage, community and solidarity.”

Maria Sharapova has only herself to blame for failing a drugs test, according to former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound as the Russian former Wimbledon champion faces an uncertain future in the sport and the cost of losing headline sponsors.