18 time grand slam champion Chris Evert has claimed that the US Open should not give Maria Sharapova a wildcard into the main draw in a recent interview.
The Russian, who is currently ranked at number 141 in the world, was banned for 15 months after taking Meldonium which was a banned substance by WADA. Sharapova returned in April in Stuttgart and has made a return to the ranking. The wildcard argument still lives on with Sharapova as her ranking isn’t high enough to compete in the main draw and is awaiting a decision from the USTA, whether she can be given a wildcard or not.
The French federation didn’t award the multiple time grand slam champion a wildcard and of course Sharapova was injured when it came to the grass court season. As a result Sharapova is dependent on a wildcard to enter the US Open main draw.
The wildcard debate has continued in the past 24 hours as former tennis legend and now tennis pundit Chris Evert has had her say on the matter. Speaking with CNN, Chris Evert has said that she doesn’t think Sharapova deserves a wildcard to the US Open. The former world number one had this to say, ‘I don’t necessarily think that in the grand slams she should be given a wildcard. No, I just think that if she enters qualifying she will get through the qualifying. It will help her in the main draw.’
She added ‘But I just don’t think so. Regular tournament can give her a wildcard if they want to, the grand slams are a different status though, so I don’t think so.’ It is obvious that the American has her morals and that she thinks that giving Sharapova a wildcard isn’t morally right.
It is now the turn of the USTA now as they have to decide four of the eight wildcards themselves. Whether they give one to Sharapova or a more deserving competitor deserves one is now up to them. Sharapova now plays Stanford, which starts on the 31st of July before heading to Montreal a week later.
