Though she hasn't played a match since the Australian Open, Maria Sharapova is in fighting form ahead of her April comeback.
The former No. 1, whose doping suspension was shortened to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, will be eligible to return to the pro circuit next April.
Watch: Maria Sharapova Rips ITF, ITF Strikes Back
Sharapova is back in the swing of things in the ring and on court.
She shared this pre-Halloween punch-up video from her boxing work-out.
The five-time Grand Slam champion dropped out of the WTA rankings last month. However starting from scratch in the rankings won't be a major obstacle for Sharapova, who celebrates her 30th birthday on April 19th.
WTA CEO Steve Simon said he expects tournaments will welcome the Russian back to the game with wild cards giving her direct entry into main draws.
Roland Garros is expected to issue the two-time former French Open champion a wild card.
It would be Sharapova's first Grand Slam appearance since her Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams.
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A video posted by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) on
"I think the game will welcome Maria back and I think it should,” Simon said. “I don’t speak for the slams, and I won’t want to put them in a position, but Maria has conducted herself with a great deal of integrity.
"She admitted the positive test, she went through the process, and she came out with an extended penalty which she is now serving. When it is finished, she will deserve to be welcomed back. She has marketability, she is a player who can sell tickets. On the rankings table, she will be starting from scratch. But I’m sure she will be hungry to get back to the top of the game.”
Sharapova's battles aren't confined to the boxing ring.
In Sharapova's first major television interview since the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban from two years to 15 months, she blasted the International Tennis Federation's conduct in her case telling PBS' Charlie Rose she believes the ITF wanted to make an example of her.
"Well I got a 24 month suspension, but they wanted four years for me, Charlie," Sharapova said. "The ITF wanted to ban me for frou years. And I went through the ITF hearing, which in front of an arbitration which was chosen by the ITF.
"So I'm in a hearing knowing the people I'm speaking to were chosen by the people I'm actually in a fight with. So they call that neutral? That's not neutral. CAS is neutral."
The ITF disputed those charges saying it did not request a four-year ban.
It also disputed Sharapova's claims the independent tribunal was "not neutral" writing "Ms. Sharapova’s legal team was given the opportunity to object to the appointment of any member of that Tribunal in advance of the hearing, and they agreed in writing that they had no such objection."
Photo credit: Maria Sharapova Instagram