SHARAPOVA VOWS TO ‘RISE AGAIN’

Maria Sharapova vowed to “rise up again” today after she was refused a wildcard for the French Open following her 15-month ban for doping.

The Russian former world number one also earned the backing of the head of women’s tennis, a day after the French tennis federation’s announcement that it would not grant her a wildcard for the event she won in 2012 and 2014.

“If this is what it takes to rise up again, then I am in it all the way, everyday,” Sharapova wrote on Twitter, in her first remarks on her snub.

“No words, games, or actions will ever stop me from reaching my own dreams. And I have many.”

The five-time Grand Slam champion, 30, was banned for two years for using meldonium, with the penalty later reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled she was not an intentional doper.

After the ban expired on April 26 she returned to competition at the Stuttgart Open, reaching the semifinals, and progressed to the last 32 of the Madrid Open, failing to earn a qualifying spot for Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the season and which starts later this month.

Many of Sharapova’s rivals have hit out at other tournaments giving her preferential treatment, but WTA chief executive Steve Simon called the actions of the French federation (FFT) “groundless”, in a strongly worded statement backing her.