The upcoming tennis event at Indian Wells has created a bit differences against the tennis players. Maria Sharapova has been given a wild card invitation to the tournament after her 15-month doping ban.
Maria Sharapova will be playing her first match since the 2016 Australian Open on April 26 — just hours after her ban for using meldonium ends.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber said “This is, all over, a strange situation” Kerber also added “I don’t know what to say about this because it’s a little bit strange for the other players that somebody can just walk on site Wednesday and play Wednesday, this is a German tournament,” the reigning Stuttgart champion who indicated that there were plenty of German players who could benefit from a wild card.
Sharapova will also be playing in Rome and Madrid after she gained direct access to those tournaments.
France’s world number eight Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he didn’t think five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova should get a French Open wild card.
“I would not do it,” he said. “It’s like if you give a sweet to a kid who did a bad thing, it’s going to do it again. It sends the wrong message.”
Men’s number one Andy Murray also told The Times last week “should have to work your way back” from a drugs ban.”
Asked about it again at Indian Wells, Murray acknowledged that the tactics of Sharapova being a part of the tournament will make things a lot of difference.”The tournaments are well within their rights to give a wild card, there’s nothing saying they can’t,” he said.
“There’s no rule in place, so the tournaments are going to do what they think is best for their event. But should you get a wild card into every event when you come back? I’m not sure about that. That’s something that maybe should be looked at.”
Romanian Simona Halep thinks Sharapova’s doesn’t need a wild card, she will easily make to the top,” She was number one in the world and won Grand Slam titles,” Halep said. “But even without wild cards, he could come back easily.”Her return is good for tennis. She is impatient, she wants to play and win.”
Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova told in a recent interview “The question of wild cards is complicated, I’m glad I’m not in charge of their attribution”
He also added, “I’ve been supportive of her because I don’t think this thing was really that serious, I understand, because if we talk about cheaters, people who cheat, you would say, ‘Why would cheaters get a wild card?’
“But then if there is some mistake, you know, it’s a little bit of a different story. But it’s really hard to say. I understand all the sides.”
