Sharapova fans unite with Zara t-shirt

Last week the Intentional Tennis Federation sentenced Maria Sharapova to a two-year suspension for failing a drug test for meldonium at the Australian Open. If the ruling stands, the five-time Grand Slam champion won’t be able to compete until January 26, 2018.

The Russian responded immediately with a vow to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A decision in the expedited court case is expected by July 18. There’s a chance Sharapova’s suspension could be reduced, as some sentences have been successfully lowered in the past.

Fans have been uniting with the hashtag #IStandWithMaria and wearing a certain Zara t-shirt. Sharapova wore the top, somewhat ironically, at the unveiling of her Sugarpova chocolates last month:

As she was awaiting the ITF court's sentencing, her fans eagerly got on board with the “Back in Five Minutes” attire to show their support:

The trendy top has become a symbol of solidarity for the 29-year-old, and the hype has even spurred t-shirt sales for Zara. Maybe the clothing company will step in with sponsorship opportunities, although Nike recently announced it is reuniting with Sharapova.

Sharapova just lost an 11-year grip on the top spot of the Forbes highest-paid female athlete list (now Serena Williams leads the pack).

Through it all, the former world No. 1 has continued to share her training efforts, though she’s been hitting the clay courts instead of grass like all of her colleagues:

All of this fighting back has been very Sharapova-like. On court or in court, she doesn't give up even when it looks like it's over.