How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria Sharapova? Wild Cards
Tennis and marketing great Maria Sharapova has returned from her 15-month ban from professional tennis — and tournament sponsors are handing her and her fame wild card berths in their tournaments. Fact is Sharapova is a draw, and the intrigue around her is only amp’d by seeing how she’ll do after her long exile. But while spectators may be curious and sponsors hungry for her notoriety, other people aren’t too thrilled to see her. Like some of her fellow competitors.
Even if you’re in a forgiving mood about Sharapova’s drug use (positive test for meldonium, banned in 2016), how is it Sharapova can just waltz back in and begin where she left off? Other players have fought hard for berths in these tournaments; to them it’s not fair. Caroline Wozniacki said Sharapova’s wild card spots are “disrespectful to the other players” and that banned players should “start from the bottom.” Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and other top talents have also chimed in about wild cards being unfair, when it comes to returns from doping suspensions. Tournament organizers in Stuttgart (where Sharapova made her return), Rome and Madrid don’t agree. They want Maria in the draw — and fans in the seats.
