Maria Sharapova will miss next month's Rio Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday decided to defer its decision on the Russian multiple-grand slam champion's appeal against a two-year doping ban until September.
Sharapova was seeking to have her ban, which was imposed on her by the International Tennis Federation in June, wiped out or reduced and a decision was initially expected to be announced by July 18.
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Sharapova slapped with two year ban
After testing positive for the drug meldonium, Maria Sharapova is handed a hefty ban.
The postponement of the ruling came as Sharapova and the ITF needed more time to "complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions", the CAS said in a statement. "A decision is expected to be issued by 19 September 2016," it added.
The 29-year-old former world number one was named in Russia's official entry list for the Olympics tennis tournament.
Sharapova was banned last month following a positive test for the banned drug meldonium during January's Australian Open.