Two-time former champion Maria Sharapova has been snubbed by French Open organisers, who opted against handing the Russian a wildcard into this month’s clay court grand slam.
The 30-year-old, who returned from a 15-month doping ban last month, had been expected to be fast-tracked into the qualifying competition for a tournament already without a host of leading players including Serena Williams.
However, French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Bernard Giudicelli announced that the 2012 and 2014 champion would play no part in this year’s tournament which starts later this month.
“You can get a wild card when you return from injury but you cannot get a wild card when returning from a doping suspension,” Giudicelli said.
“I appreciate the media impact of Maria, I appreciate the broadcasters’ expectations but in conscience, it was not possible to go beyond the anti-doping code and beyond the application of the rules.
“She might be very disappointed, but it’s my responsibility to protect the game.”
On a bitterly disappointing day for the 30-year-old, she was later forced to retire from her Italian Open second round match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
Sharapova had needed to reach the semi-finals in Rome to avoid needing a wildcard for the Wimbledon main draw.
However, her first round win against American Christina McHale in Rome means that her ranking will rise back inside the world’s top 200 just in time to be guaranteed a place in the Wimbledon qualifying tournament.
A decision as to whether she is granted a main draw spot will be taken on June 20.
But despite a semi-final run in Stuttgart in her first tournament earlier this month, her ranking, now at 211, was not high enough for her to gain an automatic place for Roland Garros, leaving the FFT with an awkward decision to make.
The news will be a big blow to former world No.1 Sharapova.
She had said she would “play the junior competition” if it meant she could compete at the French Open – a tournament that has provided some of her greatest career moments.
Sharapova rocked the tennis world when she announced last year that she had tested positive for heart drug meldonium at the Australian Open after failing to realise it had been added to WADA’s list of banned substances.
She had taken it for medical reasons for most of her career.
Sharapova’s return has been dogged by criticism with several leading players voicing their disapproval at the decision of WTA tournament organisers in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome to grant her a wildcard for those tournaments.
express34texas
Guest
William, you're right about meldonium. These athletes probably take several supplements. I bet it's hard to keep track of it all, especially if you only get an email about one substance you've been taking for years suddenly becoming banned. Should she have known better? Absolutely. But, the suspension/backlash seems ridiculous to me, especially since it probably shouldn't be a banned substance. Every substance an athlete takes is going to improve performance in some way, it's just a matter of how much, and I don't see much evidence of meldonium helping much. Yea, interesting about Lestienne. Didn't find much info about it, just that he was banned for 7 months, so they must not consider what he did too severe. It does seem hypocritical of the FO, but it's their decision. Not quite sure why they wouldn't want Sharapova there, though.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Yep its shocking Greg Rusedski will need a wild-card invitation to play in the Stella Artois Championship at Queen's Club next month after slipping outside the cut-off for direct entry into the tournament. Rusedski is 107th in the world rankings, three below American Jeff Salzenstein who is the lowest-ranked entrant to the competition, starting on June 7. Tournament director Ian Wight has five wild-card invitations at his disposal for the event, which will feature defending champion Andy Roddick, three-time winner Lleyton Hewitt and Tim Henman. Earlier this month, Rusedski was left out of the Great Britain singles team for the Davis Cup due to a lack of match practice. The British No2 appeared before a drugs tribunal in Montreal in March, having tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in the US last summer, but was cleared.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Constant Lestienne (not sure on the spelling) was banned last year for 7 months after it was discovered he'd Placed bets on over 200 tennis matches between 2014 and 2015. The guys a nobody really but to offer him a wildcard coming off a ban for corruption and deny Sharapova one for coming off a ban for something that "may be" performance enhancing is ridiculous. Meldonium was literally banned because WADA was told it might be performance enhancing. From what I understand it is, but no more so than caffeine, and unlike what every US expert says (remembering that Sharapova isn't American so it shouldn't matter if she's taking non FDA approved drugs) it is not unheard of for doctors to prescribe it over long periods of time. A big arguement was that their were a multitude of other things she could've taken that'd help her condition, problem with that though is that she'd be mixing multiple combinations of drugs when she could be taking one that's shown no obvious side effects for her over a 10 year career.
express34texas
Guest
Which player is that who was banned for betting? But yes, if that's true, you're right. Sharapova's suspension seemed odd to me, or at least way too severe. Even if she's lying and knew about the drug she was using being newly banned, its effects on performance are minimal at best, and she was using it for years for her health before the ban. I thought the suspension was highly ridiculous. Maybe she still deserved some suspension, but not 2 years, which was shortened to 15 months afterwards. Think of it this way-every player on tour probably takes several supplements. And I'm sure they aren't taking these supplements just for fun. There's a reason why they take them. Whoever is in charge of banning substances has all the power to deem whatever is too excessive in increasing performance. There needs to be some type of leeway for newly-banned substances and better communication with players.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I think it's top 200 get automatic qualifying entry but at the time she was ranked 211 and despite the fact she'd be inside that when the rankings update she was still overlooked for a wild card. Kind of hypocritical by the French though considering they've given a wildcard spot to a male player who just finished a 7 month ban for betting on tennis matches. I'd assume the reasoning is that they want to protect the game but only from foreign players who can actually win their tournament.
express34texas
Guest
I'm surprised she wasn't high enough to get automatic entry into the FO qualifying. Anyone know the cutoff for that? Doesn't top 100 get automatic entry into the FO? Then 128 players compete in qualifying, though not all of those players get automatic entry.
Swanny
Guest
Good decision
Steve
Guest
Fairly silly from the French IMO. She's served her ban which I think was unfair to begin with. She's the biggest drawcard in women's tennis