Chronicle EditorSTUTTGART. – Maria Sharapova returns to tennis after a 15-month doping ban tomorrow, desperate to rediscover the glory which brought her five Grand Slams, the world’s top ranking and a spectacular multi-million-dollar lifestyle.
The poster girl of women’s tennis won’t necessarily be welcomed back with open arms by rivals who were already suspicious of the towering Russian’s ice-cold detachment even before her fall from grace.
However, Sharapova isn’t losing any sleep as the 30-year-old prepares for her first match since being defeated by Serena Williams in the 2016 Australian Open quarter-finals
“That is the least of my concerns. I know that I am respected in my field. I see it in how my opponents play against me,” said Sharapova who was controversially handed a wild card into this week’s Stuttgart event, a clay court tournament sponsored by Porsche, one of her headline backers.
She was even given a Wednesday start as that’s the day her ban – imposed for testing positive for meldonium at last year’s Australian Open – comes to an end. – AFP.
Online Reporter