Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova will be reinstated as a UN goodwill ambassador when her enforced ban from the sport ends next April.

Sharapova lost her role with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) after she admitted in March to taking meldonium and was subsequently suspended for two years, reduced to 15 months after her successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled that her actions were "not about an athlete who cheated."

"UNDP was glad to learn that Maria Sharapova can return to the sport she loves sooner than expected and we will lift the suspension of her role as our goodwill ambassador once the reduced ban expires in April 2017," a spokesperson told the Guardian.

The UN's decision is a further boost to Sharapova, following the lifting of sponsorship deal suspensions by the likes of Nike and Evian.