Maria Sharapova thinks she was targeted with suspension

When reducing Sharapova's sentence, CAS put some of the blame for the situation on the five-time Grand Slam victor and her management for failing to stop using the drug when it was placed on the banned list at the beginning of the year - but also ruled that Wada and the ITF could have done more to communicate the change to players.

The five-time Grand Slam victor was initially handed a two-year ban in June after testing positive for anti-ischemic drug meldonium during the Australian Open, but now stands to miss only 15 months.

The ITF said it had taken appropriate action to inform players, including Sharapova, of changes to the banned list but would continue to review the way it communicated with them.

The tribunal ruling said Sharapova tested positive for meldonium after her Australian Open quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams on 26 January and in an out-of-competition test on 2 February.

The World Anti-Doping Agency added meldonium to its banned substances list in January 2016.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova is preparing to return to the professional game in April.

Sharapova will now be allowed to return to the Sport on April 26th, next year. Players were notified in December 2015, but Sharapova claimed she neglected to click on the link explaining the change.

"When you are going through such a tough period and so many ups and downs, that's not really what you are thinking about", she said. The panel also considered Sharapova's ready and public acceptance of her mistake.

Maria Sharapova still questions the rationality from World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Tennis Federation about the length of her initial suspension.

The Cas panel said it found Sharapova's case "was not about an athlete who cheated", adding she was not an "intentional doper".

Maria Sharapova will receive wildcard invitations to tournaments when her ban is over.

"I never wanted to believe that, but I am starting to think that", said the 29-year-old. "(Sharapova) need (s) to play enough and of course it will be ok for her in the future. She's also looking for a doctor to be on her staff who will be the point person for everything that goes in her body and will monitor the list of banned substances.

Cas treated both results as a single anti-doping violation.

She burst onto the tennis scene by stealing hearts and that title at Wimbledon in 2004 before going on to clinch the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014. Sharapova fans will now get to see the player on courts in an exhibition event on Monday.