French Open chiefs said they are reluctant to grant Maria Sharapova a wild card into this year’s Grand Slam event despite the two-time champion returning from a doping ban
Maria Sharapova
Paris: French Open chiefs said they are reluctant to grant Maria Sharapova a wild card into this year’s Grand Slam event despite the two-time champion returning from a doping ban.
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The Russian superstar will return to the tour on April 26 in Stuttgart, the day that her 15-month ban for testing positive for the banned substance meldonium ends. But French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Bernard Giudicelli said organisers would face a moral dilemma if they handed Sharapova a wild card, which she would need as her world ranking has disappeared during her absence.
“It’s complicated. We prefer that she returns completely rehabilitated,” said Giudicelli, who was only elected to the FFT hotseat on February 18. “Integrity is one of our strong points. We cannot decide, on the one hand, to increase the amount of funds we dedicate to the anti-doping battle and, on the other, invite her,” added Giudicelli, who was keen to stress that a decision on whether or not to hand Sharapova a spot in the main draw has not yet been taken.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, the winner at Roland Garros in 2012 and 2014, has already been handed wild cards into the Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome tournaments with organisers fully aware of the former World No. 1’s immense pulling power.
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