After a 15 month absence, Maria Sharapova returns to competitive tennis as she takes on Roberta Vinci on Wednesday in Stuttgart. So we asked the UBI writers what they made of Sharapova’s return to tennis after her 15 month ban?
1. Do you think Maria Sharapova deserves a wildcard into tournaments or should she qualify?
Skip Schwarzman: Given how wildcards are given out, which is to say without any codified rhyme or reason, “deserves” is probably not the best term to use. From a the standpoint of a tournament, which is naturally trying to sell as many tickets as possible and garner as much exposure for sponsors as they can, wildcards for Sharapova make sense. So in one way, sure, she deserves them; her hard work, success, and well-deserved fame is going to bring her rewards as well as profit the tournaments. On the other hand you have to believe that a lesser player found guilty of the same rules infraction wouldn’t get direct entry into the main draw. Not even close to it. (Victor Troicki anyone?) Looked at that way, Masha’s getting an undeserved break. Me, I wish she’d followed the suggestions I heard made that she politely decline any wildcards and play her way through the qualies. Voila! Positive cred for her, tournaments get her name on the marketing, and all’s good with the world (or at least better).
Jakub Bobro: Despite Maria having to serve a drug ban, she is still one of the biggest names in tennis, so she deserves wild cards to WTA events. For tournaments like Stuttgart or Madrid, it is not about whether Sharapova deserves a wild card, but about the crazy amount of coverage they will receive. I would absolutely love to see Sharapova play a smaller ITF event, but security-wise, those tournaments are not prepared to host such a big name. I do think that the perfect middle ground for slams is to give Sharapova a qualifying wild card.
2. Does Maria Sharapova returning give a positive or negative impact on tennis?
Cody Fitzpatrick: I think it has a positive impact. While Sharapova’s return will certainly be polarizing, the more people pay attention, the more relevant tennis will become. Sharapova is a big personality, and she appeals to a massive range of tennis fans, from hardcore followers of the WTA to casual fans who only watch a couple matches per year.
Adam Addicott: Sharapova’s return will be mainly positive. Despite the doping controversy, she has managed to maintain a high profile and a loyal fan base. Last year Forbes ranked her as the 88th highest paid athlete in the world. Her presence at tournaments will generate high attention from both the media and fans, putting tennis in the spotlight and increasing revenue for tournaments. Other players such as Vikor Troicki and Marin Cilic have both managed to successful returns to the tour from doping bans. Sharapova certainly has the ability to as well with her team structure and global appeal.
3. Are you surprised by the diverse player reaction on the Sharapova wildcard situation?
Nafari Vanaski: No. I am surprised at how vocal they have been. But you know, these are professional players and they take their craft seriously and — you assume — have been clean about it. She definitely shouldn’t have gotten a wild card to a tournament that starts while her ban is still underway. If I were a player, I could definitely see where that sort of gesture seems to imply that the crime wasn’t that serious — as though her only offense was not knowing meldonium had been banned. Most players don’t see it that way. Also, I’ve read that Sharapova wasn’t very popular in the locker room, though. Perhaps if she were, players would be more sympathetic?
Tony Fairbairn: I am not surprised by the diverse player reaction that the players have given. If I was a player in that locker room I would feel infuriated that someone who was banned from the sport for 15 months has just come back to a loaded Stuttgart field, when she is still banned when the start of the tournament comes around. Wild cards are for people that earn their spot based on form or maybe nationality. Not for people who have been a bad role model for the sport over the last year. So I am not surprised that so many players have shared their views about the topic and felt upset.
4. Does giving wildcards to a person who enhances their performance set a good example to the next generation?
Alex Burton: I don’t think it does. Wilcards are typically reserved for young talent home players or particular tournament favourites whose rankings are not strong enough for direct entry. Sharapova easy return to high level sport sets a dangerous precedent for future cases. If tournaments like Rome and Madrid are doing it now whose to say other tournaments will not follow if and when other situations occur. If Sharapova were to win one of the tournaments then we would be celebrating a champion who has been given a wildcard despite major infractions and damage to tennis as a clean sport.
Joshua Coase: Giving Sharapova wild cards into events does not set a very good example for the next generation as it teaches them that it is acceptable to illegally enhance their performance and yet not be sufficiently penalised. I have no issue with her being allowed to return to play but she should compete under her current ranking and have to work her way up again to prove herself.
5. What realistic goals should Maria Sharapova be looking to achieve at the end of the season?
Adam Addicott: I have always believed that Sharapova is one of the greatest fighters on the women’s tour. She could be losing 0-6, 0-5 and still puts in 100%. My opinion of her has not changed since her ban. Realistically, she is likely to at least break the top 100 and could go a lot higher due to her wild card entries. On average, it should take her roughly six months to regain consistency on the tour. Once she achieved this, she has the ability to challenge the best in the world again. Ironically Sharapova will not be looking at a ranking to achieve at the end of the year. What she wants is redemption and to silence her critics with her tennis performances.
Robbie Cap: Regroup, get the whole story behind her and focus on playing. She’ll have a lot of scrutiny and pressure on her.
