Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Maria Sharapova’s much awaited hearing to determine the potential punishment for the five-time Grand Slam tennis event champion’s admission that she used the banned substance meldonium will take reportedly place in London on Wednesday.

As Sharapova is appearing before an independent three man anti-doping tribunal, the International Tennis Federation who have placed an on-going suspension on the 29 year-old Californian-based Russian, cannot make any comment.

The hearing is not expected to last longer than two days but it might take as long as a fortnight for the findings to be made public. Consequently the result will be made public at approximately the mid-stage of the French Open that begins on Sunday.

A spokesman for the International Tennis Federation refused to add any details, saying on Saturday: “Under Tennis Anti-Doping rules we are unable to comment on an ongoing case.”

Sharapova tested positive for the use of meldonium, only placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of banned substances, during January’s Australian Open and chose to admit her situation at a specially arranged press conference in Los Angeles on March 7.

Since then she has made no formal pronouncement on her case but has regularly been the subject of photographs on social media showing her practicing on court, which suggest the 29 year-old is preparing for a return to the competitive area before too long. She is also continuing the promotion of  her Sugarpova line of candy, publicizing the launch of a new chocolate product this month.

In April WADA said that less than 1 microgram of meldonium per milliliter in a doping test would be permissible in samples submitted before March 1, 2016.

Therefore Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev has said that Sharapova may receive amnesty for meldonium use and would therefore be available for selection at the tennis event the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games that begins on August  6.

Copyright © 2016. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.