Maria Sharapova’s doping ban has been reduced to 15 months from the initial two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The five-time Grand Slam winner, 29, was banned in June by the International Tennis Federation for failing a drugs test during the Australian Open in January, putting a pause on her tennis career.

The Russian, who said she had been taking the drug since 2006 for health problems, appealed against the ban.

She will be free to play again from 26 April next year.