Sharapova was originally banned for two years following a positive test for the newly-banned drug Meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open but the sanction was reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
With her ban preventing her from playing enough events for her to benefit from a protected ranking, Sharapova has been handed direct entry into three events on the Women's Tennis Association tour, starting in Stuttgart. The tennis world will be keeping a close eye on this event - especially her - as the action in Germany gets underway.
"If we talk about cheaters, people who cheat, you would say: 'Why would cheaters get a wildcard?,' but then if there is some mistake, you know, it's a little bit of a different story", two-time major victor Svetlana Kuznetsova said in Indian Wells.
The German auto company are one of Sharapova's sponsors and, having handed her a wildcard entry, delayed her first-round match to allow her to play on Wednesday after the expiration of her ban. It will be the third meeting of their career and first since 2012.
The date 24th April 2017 brings two sporting icons, Sachin Tendulkar and Maria Sharapova together once again - the first time when the Russian tennis star was called out on not knowing the great Indian cricketer.
The victor gets 470 points while the runner-up gets 305.
Radwanska says allowing the two-time French Open champion a route straight into the Roland Garros draw for next month's tournament would be wrong.
Trump says he does not fear a trade war with Canada
Ross said that Trump saw how hard this was hitting US farmers during a recent trip to Wisconsin and was moved by their reaction. In 2002, the US imposed a 30% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber, which Canadian firms claimed cost 30,000 jobs at the time.
Sharapova can expect plenty of support from the Stuttgart organisers as her return is the highlight in the tournament's 40th anniversary celebrations.
There is speculation that Paris might meet her half way by granting a wildcard into the qualifying tournament instead.
While admitting her mistake, Sharapova has hardly been full of contrition and has criticised the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for failing to notify her that Meldonium, a medication she said she had used for a number of years to treat health issues, had indeed been flagged up by WADA as "performance enhancing".
With Serena Williams and Madison Keys the only top-10 players missing, the event starts with Sharapova still in the final days of her suspension.
"She's a great player, a champion..." She once was the new Sharapova: blonde, beautiful, tempestuous and, when the mood took her, a very good player. Six weeks ago, Halep blithely acknowledged Sharapova's right to wild cards on the basis that "she was No 1 and a champion". "I'm not going to make myself ugly", she said. It's normal that people talk about her, she's an vast champion, but from there to promoting her return to such an extent ... "My personal opinion is this".
Vinci joined the likes of Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova, Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska in speaking out against the presentation of wildcards to players returning from doping bans. "I think the same as Andy Murray", Radwanska, who has beaten Sharapova only twice in 15 attempts, said. Many players believe that athletes suspended for doping should not receive such discretionary invitations.
Yes, a few, including Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Sharapova's compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Comments