Nike has suspended its relationship with Maria Sharapova, not permanently severed it.
Trevor Edwards, Nike global brand director, hinted that the shoe and apparel giant could re-sign the embattled tennis star who last week announced she had failed a drug test, according to Fortune magazine.
WTA Calls Maria Sharapova' Positive Drug Test "An Honest Mistake"
"Each time those situations happen, you are saddened and disappointed," Edwards told Forbes at a New York event on Wednesday in which Nike was showcasing new products such as self-lacing shoes. "At the same time, there are many athletes that inspire us."
Nike, however, has set a precedent of reinstating an athlete who had previously failed drug tests. U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin twice served doping suspensions but found his way back to the Nike family.
Rival Says WTA Players Think Of Maria Sharapova As "A Cheater" And "Wasn't Really Liked"
"At the end of the day, athletes are humans just like the rest of us, and they have the same frailties that the rest of us have," Edwards said, referring to Sharapova. "And sometimes those moments become teaching moments."
Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, a substance that was put on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list in 2016. She claims she has taken the drug off and on for 10 years because of a history of family diabetes and because of magnesium deficiency.
Her test has created a division within the tennis community. She has ardent supporters, such as the WTA, which called her failed test "an honest mistake."
Her detractors, such as French tennis player Kristina Mladenovic has said that players on the tour see her as a "cheater."
Sharapova has been provisionally suspended since March 12, and she faces up to a four-year ban for her failed test.
She has accepted responsibility for the test and said she doesn't want her career to end in controversy.
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