Sensing a lack of appropriate outrage over Maria Sharapova's failed drug test, France's Kristina Mladenovic got up close and personal against the embattled Russian tennis player.
Mladenovic delved deeper than the skepticism over Sharapova's claims of medicinal necessity for using meldonium for 10 years by attacking her character.
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"She wasn't really liked, Mladenovic said to the French newspaper Le Parisien, via The Guardian. "I respected her for her career but she wasn't really nice nor polite, let's be honest. At least the good news to come out of all of this is that the anti-doping program is working and that even if you're among the best players you're going to get caught and it's going to get out."
Mladenovic, ranked No. 29 in the world, also elected herself spokeswoman of her WTA peers in describing what is being said in the locker rooms.
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"All the other players are saying she's a cheater," she said. "You sure doubt and think that she didn't deserve all she won until now. That's dreadful, but it's good that it's finally out. As far as I am concerned if I take an aspirin I worry 10 times about what I do. She's been taking this drug for 10 years and it's a serious drug. She has played with the rules and thought, if it's not banned, then I can take it. For me that's very disappointing. I don't like the mentality to be the best by playing with the rules.
"She can play with words and find a good lawyer but on the principles of the situation, she's wrong," Mladenovic added. "She has no excuse that can defend what she's done. For me there's no doubt."
Former player Jennifer Capriati, who herself had an incident with drugs early in her career, and former World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound both offered stinging criticism of Sharapova, but Sharapova's male and female peers had been less subdued.
Andy Murray said Sharapova should be banned, which Sharapova already has resigned to accept and some of question her prolonged use of meldonium, but no player had been so direct with their assessment of Sharapova as Mladenovic has been.
But she's not the only player who lacks sympathy.
Asked whether she had talked to Sharapova since her announcement, world No. 5 Simona Halep offered, according to The Guardian, "I didn't speak with her before; there's no reason to speak now."
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