As the polarization of Maria Sharapova continues, one of her sponsors announced it is not dropping her as a client.
Tennis racket manufacturer Head announced it plans to extend its contract with the embattled Russian star, even after her admission of a failed drug test in January, according to BBC.com.
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"Maria may have made a mistake, but she has earned the benefit of the doubt and we are extending it to her," it said.
Sharapova has seen the gamut of emotion over her press conference Monday revealing she tested positive for meldonium, a drug geing used to improve recovery or enhance performance.
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Until this year, meldonium had been legal.
According to BBC.com, Head described Sharapova as "a role model and woman of integrity who has inspired millions of fans around the world to play and watch tennis.
"The honesty and courage she displayed in announcing and acknowledging her mistake was admirable.
"We look forward to working with her and to announcing new sponsorships in the weeks and months ahead."
The International Tennis Federation will suspend Sharapova beginning Saturday, and she could face up to a four-year ban.
Her plight over her positive test was described perfectly in a USA Today Sports report:
"Maria Sharapova is either the world's most beloved drug cheat or the world's most clueless multimillion-dollar athlete, USA Today Sports' Christine Brennan reported.
"It's one or the other. It can't be both.
"Either she knew meldonium was a performance-enhancing drug, which is why she joined hundreds of her fellow Eastern European athletes in taking the little-known medicine -- used in real life for cases of angina and heart failure -- for an eye-popping 10 years in her teens and 20s while playing tennis at its highest level.
"Or she did not know meldonium came with the wonderful side effect of increasing her endurance, and made the worst mistake an athlete can make: not knowing what is on the list of banned substances, details of which are constantly and readily available to all elite athletes."
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