Maria Sharapova will launch her comeback next month aided by wild cards into three clay-court tournaments.
However, the two-time French Open champion cannot count on a coveted Roland Garros wild card.
Murray: No Wild Cards For Sharapova
New French Tennis Federation Bernard Giudicelli strongly suggests the FFT won’t be welcoming Sharapova with a wild card—though he told French publication L’Equipe a final decision has not yet been made.
The FFT president said it’s hypocritical for tennis to tout investing millions in anti-doping measures then serve up wild cards to players who have been banned for doping.
“We can't invest a million and a half Euros in the fight against anti-doping and then invite a player sanctioned for the consumption of a prohibited product,” Giudicelli told L’Equipe. “It's complicated. We prefer that she returns completely rehabilitated.
“Integrity is one of our strong points. We cannot decide, on the one hand, to increase the amount of funds we dedicate to the anti-doping battle and, on the other, invite her.”
Sharapova was initially hit with a two-year ban after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium after her 2016 Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams. She appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which shortened her suspension to 15 months.
The former world No. 1 will return to tournament tennis next month on the red clay of Stuttgart at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Title sponsor Porsche also sponsors Sharapova.
Since Sharapova received a Stuttgart wild card, Madrid and Rome have also awarded the five-time Grand Slam champion wild cards.
World No. 1 Andy Murray spoke against his fellow Head endorser receiving wild cards earlier this week. Murray told The Times he believes players banned for doping should not be be rewarded with wild cards upon their return.
"I think you should really have to work your way back," Murray told The Times in comments published by BBC Sport. "But most tournaments will do what they think is best for their event. If they think big names will sell more seats, they're going to do that."
The Wimbledon champion said All England Club officials will “think long and hard” about giving Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, a wild card.
"She has an opportunity to try to improve her ranking up until that point and potentially not need a wildcard," Murray told The Times. "But then if she doesn't, that becomes Wimbledon's decision and how they want to play that. I'm sure they'll think long and hard about it and how they feel people will view it and then make the right decision for them."
Following the CAS decision to shorten the Russian's suspension to 15 months, Sharapova appeared on the Charlie Rose show, suggested the ITF wanted to make an example of her with the ban and called the CAS ruling "a repudiation" of the International Tennis Federation.
The ITF, which is the governing body of the Grand Slams, slammed Sharapova's claim it could have done a better job warning her that meldonium was added to the banned list on January 1, 2016.
The ITF said since Sharapova failed to declare her use of meldonium on any doping control form and since the World Anti-Doping Agency’s program is anonymous, it had no way of knowing she was using the banned drug until she tested positive.
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