Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova has become the latest player to criticise the decision to award Maria Sharapova a wildcard into next months Stuttgart Open.
Sharapova is currently serving a 15-month suspension for testing positive for Meldonium last year. Her ban will end in April and she will return to action at the Stuttgart Open. Controversially organisers have agreed to hand the Russian a wild card and have allowed her to play her first match on the Wednesday, the same day her ban ends.
Cibulkova has voiced her opposition to Stuttgart’s decision. Speaking to the media in Miami, the world No.4 stated that she doesn’t think awarding Sharapova a tournament pass is right. Furthermore, the Slovakian has claimed that ‘nobody on the tour’ is happy with the move.
“I don’t think it’s right but what can we do about it? She’s still banned, but she can come on site on Wednesday, that’s pretty strange,’ Cibulkova said. ‘For me it’s not OK and I spoke to some other players and nobody is OK with it, but it’s not up to us.”
“All the people who are taking care of these things should know the rule and do the right thing. It’s not about her, but everyone who was doping should start from zero,” She added.
It is not the first time Cibulkova has hit out against Sharapova. In April 2016 she told Slovakian website Aktuality.sk that the former world No.1 is ‘arrogant, conceited and cold.’
Not the first to voice concern
Other high profile players have also hit out at Sharapova’s Stuttgart comeback on the third day of the tournament. World No.1 Angelique Kerber has called the situation a ‘little bit strange’ and criticised the decision not to award the wild card to a German player. Germany currently has seven players ranked in the world’s top 100.
“It’s a German tournament, and we [have] so many good German players, so this is also a little bit strange,” said Kerber. “We are playing Fed Cup. We are playing for our country.”
Great Britain’s Heather Watson has questioned the morality of the return of the five-time grand slam champion. Refusing to hold back, the world No.108 believes Sharapova should be made to ‘work her way back up’ on the tour.
“From the tournament standpoint she will bring in the crowds, and make money. But from a moral standpoint you should have to work your way back up if you’ve been on a ban. It just seems a bit easy.” Said Watson.
Sharapova will play her first match since the 2016 Australian Open on Wednesday, April 26th.
