Reactions to Maria Sharapova´s positive dope test

Five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova´s failed drug test at this year´s Australian Open provoked a flurry of reaction on social media and beyond.

While most expressed shock and some sympathy for the Russian former world number one, others were less charitable, including three-times grand slam champion Jennifer Capriati.

FORMER WORLD NO.1  JENNIFER CAPRIATI ON TWITTER"I´m extremely angry and disappointed. I had to lose my career and never opted to cheat no matter what. I had to throw in the towel and suffer.

"I didn´t have the high priced team of drs that found a way for me to cheat and get around the system and wait for science to catch up.

The responses are exactly what i am talking about. Everything based on illusion and lie driven by the media for over 20 yrs. Beyond unfair.

"TENNIS GREAT MARTINA NAVRATILOVA ON TWITTER"Hold your horses everyone - about Maria - I don´t have all the facts, I hope it´s an honest mistake, stuff was legal as far as I know till 2015.

"FORMER PLAYER JAMES BLAKE ON TWITTER "Wow. Classy of @MariaSharapova to hold a press conference for this and admit making a mistake. Definitely agree that have to be aware though".

CURRENT AMERICAN PLAYER RYAN HARRISON on TWITTER "Maria handled that so well". In my opinion, honest mistake from a great champion".

FORMER TOP 10 PLAYER AND COACH BRAD GILBERT "Still stunned that nobody on Shazza team checked new list from WADA, players are responsible but this is big time oversight on team as well.

"AUSTRALIAN PLAYER MATT EBDEN "Doesn´t look that innocent for Sharapova or whoever else took it, this Meldonium stuff but who knows?"

BRITISH OLYMPIC HEPTATHLON BRONZE MEDALLIST KELLY SOTHERTON "I´m pretty sure if this was a track and field athlete they´d be getting a much rawer deal than Sharapova. However it is what it is.#Sharapova".

SEVEN-TIME GRAND SLAM SINGLES CHAMPION JUSTINE HENIN "Some questions still have to be asked and it´s very difficult at the moment to give an opinion. What I can say is it´s not good for the game. "Rules are important, rules have to be respected so that´s the thing we can say today. But I am still a little bit sad about all of this".

RUSSIAN FORMER WORLD NO. 1 MARAT SAFIN "The situation is pretty difficult but I think there is a lot we still have to understand. It can be a mistake. But it depends how they (investigators) take it and how they feel about the situation".