Watch: Bouchard No Regrets On Sharapova Tiff

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Watch: Bouchard No Regrets On Sharapova Tiff

Genie Bouchard has no regrets about her Madrid clash with Maria Sharapova—or calling the former world No. 1 a cheater.

Asked if she had any regrets for calling Sharapova out, Bouchard told SportsNet's Prime Time Sports "Of course not. I got asked a question and I couldn't not answer it honestly."

Watch: Djokovic Pulls Plug on Season

In an interview with TRT World, Bouchard said Sharapova, who served a 15-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open, should not be permitted to play on the WTA Tour.

“She’s a cheater,” Bouchard said. “I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true.

"I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: Cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms. I don’t think that’s right and [Sharapova is] not someone I can say I look up to anymore because it’s definitely ruined it for me a little bit."

In one of the most intense matches of the season, Bouchard backed up her bold statement defeating Sharapova for the first time in five matches, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, in Madrid.

Bouchard said she came on court with added motivation to beat the two-time Roland Garros champion she grew up admiring.

"I was on the court and I was motivated and obviously there was all the off-court controversy, which I think made it into a very tense match," Bouchard told SportNet in the video interview above. "Once I got on the court I put everything else to the side. I just wanted to play as well as I could.

"I definitely had a little bit of extra motivation to do it for all of us who have been fair to the sport and who have played the sport the true way that it’s meant to be played."

Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open

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