Novak Djokovic has imitated Maria Sharapova in the past and is impressed with how she's conducted herself in the aftermath of a positive drug test.
The world No. 1 praised Sharapova as "humble, responsible and brave" in admitting she tested positive for the banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open.
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"It's still an ongoing process, so we still don't have the final decision from WADA and ITF," Djokovic told the media in Indian Wells after his victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber. "When that moment comes, I guess if she made a mistake and she used a forbidden substance, I'm sure she's very mature, intelligent enough that she's going to have to accept that fact that she's gonna be absent for a certain time—how much, we don't know—from the tour.
"But I do feel that we all have to agree that she has been humble and responsible and brave in this process. To come out with that, it's not an easy thing. To face so much media and so much attention from the world of sport and also other fields of life and carry that on your back, it's something that you must admire and respect."
Djokovic asserted Sharapova's mistake of failing to recognize the Latvian-manufactured drug had been added to the WADA banned list on January 1st "can happen to anybody" because many players "don't look in those e-mails."
"Of course I was saying that it, you know, can happen to anybody if she didn't know that it was on a forbidden list," Djokovic said. "Now I'm saying in that scenario it can happen to many players, because I can assure you that many players don't look in those e-mails."
Djokovic said teams around top players should serve as safeguards to make sure they are fully aware of what drugs are banned and suggested someone on Sharapova's team should have paid attention to those details.
"But having said that, it's why you have a large team around you that makes sure that those things don't slip away and that they come to your attention and this should have happened with her and her team," Djokovic said. "Who made a mistake or how big is that mistake or whether or not she was aware before, she was warned before, I don't know. I'm not getting into that."
The 11-time Grand Slam champion said he supports his long-time friend and fellow Head endorser, but reiterated she will have to face the consequences of her actions.
"But as I said as a friend, somebody that knows her for long time, I think she did a right thing coming out and taking responsibility," Djokovic said. "Somebody, of course, who is always an advocate for clean sport, fair. You know, if she needs to, she's gonna have to face the consequences."
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