Sharapova vows to rise anew after French Open
Maria Sharapova said on Wednesday she remains fully committed to making a successful comeback from her doping ban following a decision by the French Open to deny her a wild card entry. Sharapova was widely expected to be fast-tracked into the year’s second grand slam tournament, which she has won twice, but the French Tennis Federation (FFT) took the unexpected decision on Tuesday to refuse her entry. “If this is what it takes to rise up again, then I am in it all the way, everyday,” Sharapova said on Twitter on Wednesday. “No words, games, or actions will ever stop me from reaching my own dreams. And I have many.” Sharapova’s return from a 15-month ban has split opinion in tennis circles, with some players arguing she is being given special treatment after receiving wild cards for tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. Accepting the decision to bar her from the French Open without rancor would give the Russian a chance to rise above the furor, according to former world number three Pam Shriver.