New York: Listen to the crowds here, and Maria Sharapova seems as popular as ever. Listen to the competitors, and it’s clear she hasn’t been welcomed back with open arms to her first Grand Slam after her 15 months drug ban.
Tennis isn’t the only game going on at the US Open, where complaining about Sharapova has become practically a sport itself.
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Some rivals don’t like that she keeps getting to play on Arthur Ashe Stadium – and guess where she’s headed again Friday night?
“When you look on centre court, I understand completely the business side of things and everything, but someone who comes back from a drug sentence and performance-enhancing drugs and then all of a sudden gets to play every single match on centre court, I think that’s a questionable thing to do,” No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki told ‘Ekstrabladet TV’ of Denmark after losing on an outside court Wednesday night. “I think it doesn’t set a good example.”
Others don’t like that Sharapova’s even here at all. The Russian required a wild card to get into the tournament because of her low ranking and the US Tennis Association was happy to provide it. But that hasn’t gone down well with some.
“Wild cards are appointed by the USTA. I can’t say I agree. I wish it was an American instead of Masha (Sharapova’s nickname), selfishly, because it is an USA tournament,” American CoCo Vandeweghe said.
“I know from receiving a wild card here, it can be huge for a junior player or someone returning from injury. No, not Masha in this case,” Vandeweghe added.
But then again there’re others who have a different opinion. “Tournament directors, people around, they would love to watch her play,” former US Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova said. “You can see after her first match how the crowd welcomed her back.”
Kuznetsova also said Sharapova paid the price for her mistake. “She did her time. I think now it has to be over, the talk,” Kuznetsova asserted.
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