By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 29, 2017
"To be in a moment when you feel and you felt that it could’ve ended on someone else’s voice and someone else’s terms, was very difficult to accept," said Maria Sharapova.
Photo credit: ANA Inspiration
Maria Sharapova isn’t sure how she will be received when she launches her return in Stuttgart next month.
Sharapova is clear on why she’s committed to the comeback cause
The former world No. 1 said she “fought so hard” to appeal her doping ban because she wants to craft the final chapter of her career on her terms.
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“Although I’m at a stage or age in my career where you’re closer to the end than your beginning, you always want to end a chapter in your life on your own terms, in your own voice,” Sharapova said in a speech at the ANA Inspiring Women in Sport Conference on Tuesday. “To be in a moment when you feel and you felt that it could’ve ended on someone else’s voice and someone else’s terms, was very difficult to accept.
“You don’t know how much you love something and how much something means to you until you lose it for some time. That’s why I fought so hard for the truth to be out. “
Sharapova joined Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, golfer Lexi Thompson and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman speaking at the ANA Inspiring Women in Sports conference at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
The 29-year-old Russian, who tested positive for the banned substance meldonium following her Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams in January, 2016, will return to the WTA Tour at next month’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on the red clay of Stuttgart. Sharapova is eligible to return to the WTA Tour on April 26th, which is the third day of main-draw play in Stuttgart.
Launching her comeback in Stuttgart makes sense for several reasons. Sharapova is a three-time Stuttgart champion, she’s a long-time Porsche endorser and in recent years red clay has been her best surface. Four of Sharapova’s last five titles—the 2014 Roland Garros, Madrid and Stuttgart championships and 2015 Rome title—came on clay.
World No. 1 Andy Murray, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova are among the players who have publicly opposed the wild cards Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome have awarded Sharapova.
"First of all, I think obviously she's a good draw to tennis, women's tennis in general. That's one,” Wozniacki said of Sharapova at the BNP Paribas Open. "But, two, I think it's very questionable, allowing—no matter who it is—a player that is still banned to play a tournament that week.
"I think that's—from the tournament side, I think it's disrespectful to the other players and the WTA. But, you know, it is what it is. Obviously rules are twisted and turned in favor of who wants to do what."
While Sharapova did not directly address the dissent from some players in her speech, she said her time away from tennis both strengthened her appreciation of the sport and gave her the realization life is “OK” without tennis.
“I learned that life is OK without tennis,” Sharapova said, “which is a very scary thought because once you’ve done something for so long you think, ‘What am I going to do when I don’t have that?’
“But it gave me a chance to realize that you are the one who creates life, and you’re the one who creates your opportunities.”
Sharapova was initially hit with a two-year suspension, which she appealed.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport partially upheld Sharapova's appeal reducing her suspension from two years to 15 months. Read the complete Court of Arbitration for Sport decision on Sharapova's case here.
In its conclusion, the CAS noted that though Sharapova committed the anti-doping rule violation with No Significant Fault or Negligence, Sharapova "bears some degree of fault, which prevents a reduction to the minimum measure of ineligibility."
The five-time Grand Slam champion, who celebrates her 30th birthday on April 19th, has been busy writing her autobiography, which is scheduled to be released in September, promoting her candy company Sugarpova and training for her comeback.
“Ultimately, it was the part that something was taken away from you that you’ve done so passionately since you were a little girl,” Sharapova said. "As an athlete, there’s this constant cycle, this tennis life, that’s 10 months out of the year – a very short offseason – it’s a lifestyle. Yes, it’s a choice, but it becomes your life."
Though she’s currently unranked, as a former Grand Slam champion Sharapova is permitted unlimited wild cards under WTA rules. Sharapova said she's highly motivated for her return.
“Practice is never the same as match play,” Sharapova said. “I know that my mind and my body still have the motivation to be the best tennis player I can be.”