Banned Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova being granted a wildcard for an event in Stuttgart in April is “disrespectful”, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki has claimed.
Sharapova is due to make her return to competitive tennis at the event in the German city, after serving a 15-month ban for testing positive for meldonium.
The Porsche Grand Prix starts two days before her ban expires on April 26 and Sharapova would not be allowed to attend the tournament until the day of her first match.
The 29-year-old will take to the court at the competition, which is sponsored by her main commercial partner, without a ranking.
“Obviously rules are twisted and turned in favour of who wants to do what,” Wozniacki, a former world number one, said to the BBC.
“I think everyone deserves a second chance, but at the same time, I feel like when a player is banned for drugs, I think that someone should start from the bottom and fight their way back.
“I think it’s very questionable allowing – no matter who it is – a player that is still banned to play a tournament that week.
“From the tournament side, it’s disrespectful to the other players and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).”
Source : SunOnline