All eyes on Stuttgart as Sharapova makes return

LONDON (Reuters) – Not much phases Roberta Vinci after 16 years on Tour but the maelstrom swirling around her opening match in Stuttgart against Maria Sharapova will test even the Italian’s vast experience.

Her 946th singles might ordinarily have been one to chalk off and forget about but standing over the other side of the net on Wednesday will be the former world No. 1 on her return from a 15-month doping ban.

Whatever else is happening on any other tennis court in the world will become irrelevant as Russian multi-millionaire Sharapova, who turned 30 last week, resumes a career that made her the world’s richest sportswoman. Debate still rages about Sharapova’s crime and punishment. While some say the five-time Grand Slam champion, initially banned for two years after testing positive for Meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, has done her time some fellow players are angry the red carpet is being rolled out.

With no ranking after such a long period without swinging her racket in anger, Sharapova could have been forced to work her way back from the lower rungs of the tennis ladder.

Instead, with tournament chiefs and sponsors well aware of her ticket-selling appeal she has been handed wildcards into the clay-court events in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome.

Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska have both cried foul, believing a player returning from a doping ban should have to do it the hard way.

Sharapova, whose defense was that she had not realized Meldonium had been added to a list of banned substances at the start of 2016, insisted the substance is as common as aspirin in Russia where it is known as Mildronate.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed that Sharapova was not an intentional doper shortened her ban from two years to 15 months. A decision is expected soon on whether the French Tennis Federation will fast-track the 2012 and 2014 Roland Garros champion into the French Open draw. Her only other route is to win the Stuttgart title to enter French Open qualifying.

In other news, 35-year-old Serena Williams reclaimed the No. 1 ranking on Monday after announcing she is pregnant and will be out of action for the remainder of the year.