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Maria Sharapova Excited About Birthday At Coachella 2016 Despite Doping Scandal

By Jenny Cox
Published on: 06:17 PST, Apr 16, 2016

Maria Sharapova is not about to let her doping scandal get in the way of celebrating her birthday at Coachella 2016! The Russian athlete went out of town this weekend to make sure that she welcomes her 29th birthday in style at Coachella. No doping scandal is going to get her down!

“Since Maria Sharapova admitted on March 7 that she had tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open, the former world No 1 has been keeping herself busy, relaxing and trying to stay fit,” reports Daily Mail. “And on Saturday morning she looked in good spirits as she took to Instagram to post a smiley photograph of herself posing with her arms spread wide as she arrived at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.”

Check out her glowing photo on Twitter!

Maria’s 29th birthday falls on Tuesday, April 19, which will be right in the middle of Coachella 2016.

With her career spiraling down after the doping scandal, Maria Sharapova has been taking time off from professional tournaments all over the world, including the upcoming grand slam tournament Roland Garros in France. While she can let this really get to her, the tennis player is choosing to stay busy and occupied as she tries out things that she has never done before in her life – like attending Coachella!

She even hinted how wild she plans on getting at Coachella by replying to a tweet that her fans posted.

In fact, she has been partying it up as much as she could even before she set out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Coachella.

“She’s been putting on a defiant front following the recent furore over her drug scandal and provisional suspension from tennis,” reports Daily Mail. “And Maria Sharapova continued in this vein as she stepped out at the star-studded Snoop Dogg Vogue Party at West Hollywood’s El Compadre restaurant on Wednesday evening. The 28-year-old Russian tennis ace looked low-key but still lovely as she flaunted her pins while exiting the venue after the soiree.”

She also took her friend Chelsea Handler to her favorite Mexican beach, making sure that she surrounds herself with those that are close and supportive of her throughout this ordeal that she has to face.

But just because Maria Sharapova is going out more and letting herself enjoy the more social aspects of her life, that doesn’t mean that she has been neglecting on her fitness regime. She regularly posts on Twitter of herself deeply immersed in training so that she can make a great comeback after the doping scandal hearing.

All these partying and training is just another way for Maria to stay occupied until she gets the ruling on her meldonium intake.

“Maria Sharapova still faces a hearing after testing positive for meldonium, despite the World Anti-Doping Agency issuing fresh rules for athletes who tested positive for the banned substance before March 1, the International Tennis Federation has said,” according to AOL.

“In light of the recent notice from WADA regarding the process for dealing with cases involving meldonium, the ITF can confirm that the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme case involving Maria Sharapova will proceed to a hearing in accordance with WADA’s recommendations,” the ITF said in a statement.

There has been a mixed response from the tennis community, some athletes choosing to badmouth her and taking a no-mercy approach to this doping scandal while the others, like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, taking a more detached and professional attitude towards this incident.

Happy birthday to Maria Sharapova!

[Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images]

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