Former tennis star Jennifer Capriati vents her fury at news of Sharapova's cheating, saying: 'I had to lose my career and never opted to cheat'

Former tennis star Jennifer Capriati has slammed current champion Maria Sharapova after she admitted to failing a drugs test for a recently banned substance on Monday.

In now-deleted Twitter posts, the 39-year-old retired player accused Sharapova of hiring doctors to 'get around the system', adding that she 'never opted to cheat'.

Capriati then went on to insinuate that she would have been able to salvage her career, which ended in 2004, had she resorted to taking the same drug. 

Sharapova claims she had been taking meldonium, a drug which was legal until December 2015, for 10 years, and that it was a human error that led to her continuing to take it after the ban. 

Grand slam: U.S. player Jennifer Capriati, 39, hit out at Maria Sharapova on Twitter after the latter admitted to taking a banned substance

Smash: Capriati accused 28-year-old Sharapova, pictured at the press conference in Los Angeles last night, of hiring doctors to 'get around the system'

However, Capriati appears not to have been satisfied with Sharapova's explanation, and took to social media to hit out at the Russian player.

'I had to lose my career and never opted to cheat no matter what,' Capriati wrote. 'I had to throw in the towel and suffer.'

'I didn't have the high priced team of drs [sic] that found a way for me to cheat and get around the system and wait for science to catch up,' Capriati added.

The U.S. ex-player, who retired from tennis in 2004, has since deleted her controversial tweets, following up with a number of defensive posts. 

'What's the point of someone taking a heart medicine that helps your heart recover faster unless you have a heart condition? Is that accurate?' 

She then wrote: 'If this medication helped me to comeback again would everyone be alright with me taking it?', before adding: Maybe I should start taking it? Lol I might feel better'

Harsh words: Capriati, pictured in 2001, who retired from tennis some 12 years ago, took to social media to hit out at the Russian player's use of meldonium, a drug which was legal until December 2015,

Backhanded: The U.S. ex-player, pictured in 2004, has since deleted her controversial tweets, following up with a number of defensive posts.

Florida-born Capriati won three major titles and an Olympic gold medal after starting her pro career as a 13-year-old prodigy. 

She reached the Top 10 when she was 14, becoming the youngest player to do so.

However, a back injury plagued the American's final professional season in 2004, and Capriati has said she was forced to retire earlier than she had hoped.

Her tweets posted Monday and Tuesday indicated that she struggled in the wake of her retirement, and in 2010, Capriati was admitted to hospital after a drug overdose.

Capriati was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012, but just a few months later, the former champion ended up in trouble with the law.

She was charged with battery and stalking after reportedly following and striking ex-boyfriend on Valentine's Day 2013.

The charges were later dropped, but later completed community service and anger management counselling in connection with the battery charges. 

Maria Sharapova, pictured, announced on Monday that she failed a drugs test at the 2016 Australian Open

The 28-year-old Russian tennis player confirmed that she took full responsibility for failing the test

Capriati appears to be in the minority as a critic of Sharapova, as a number of high-profile tennis players and experts have shown their support.

Czech tennis great Martina Navtratilova took to Twitter to suggest Sharapova had made an honest mistake.

'Sharapova Announces That She Failed Doping Test, hope this gets cleared up as it seems 2 me to be an honest mistake,' she wrote.

She added: '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.'

Judy Murray on the other hand enjoyed how the 28-year-old dealt with rumours that she would announce her retirement.

The Scot quoted Sharapova in this tweet: '"If I was going 2 (sic) announce my retirement, it wouldn’t b (sic) in a downtown Los Angeles hotel with a fairly ugly carpet." Sharapova. Standards.'

It is not yet known what effect Sharapova's frank admission will have on her career and the several lucrative endorsement deals she profits from. 

Just hours after Sharapova admitted she had tested positive for the banned substance at January's Australian Open, Nike announced that they were suspending their $70million eight-year contract. 

Support: Both Judy Murray and Czech tennis ace Martina Navratilova posted tweets supporting Sharapova

She earns $30million a year in endorsements, according to Forbes. Current endorsements include American Express, Avon, Evian, Porsche, Tag Heuer. 

The five-times Grand Slam champion dropped the bombshell at a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel, confessing she had been caught out by tennis's anti-doping operation on Monday night.

The highest earning athlete in any female sport said that she had been found to have taken Mildronate – or Meldonium – which was prohibited from January 1 this year. The International Tennis Federation has confirmed the star will be provisionally suspended from the sport from March 12.  

At a press conference which many assumed would be to announce her retirement after a spate of injuries, she delivered what is catastrophic news for her, the sport and women's tennis in particular.

'I had legally been taking this for ten years,' said Sharapova, who conceded that she had received a notification from the International Tennis Federation on December 22 that it was being outlawed. She admitted that she did not follow an information link that was provided.

'I take responsibility for my professionalism in my job and I made a big mistake. I know there will be consequences and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope I will be given another chance to play tennis again. I can't blame anyone but myself. I have let my fans down.

'I know many of you thought I was retiring but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would probably not be in a downtown Lost Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet.'