Maria Sharapova changing tactics after French Open snub

After being declined a wild card to Roland Garros and after retiring with an injury in Rome, the Russian has seen the writing on the wall and decided to not pursue a wild card to Wimbledon, taking her chances in the qualifying tournament instead.

Maria Sharapova’s comeback from a doping ban is certainly not going as planned, with plenty of locker room disgruntlement and establishment complaints that she is getting a “free ride” into tournaments because of her famous name. She’s been labeled a “cheater” by Genie Bouchard, compared to Lance Armstrong by Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, and Kristina Mladenovic has said that it’s not just Bouchard who called Sharapova a “cheater.”

Ouch.

Even worse for the tennis star, all those women made good on their word and just beat her in the three tournaments she just completed in.

Sharapova is coming out in the fall with a new autobiography with the title “Unstoppable,” which I’m guessing was supposed to coincide with a fairytale comeback success, a likely scenario considering that she started out on her favorite clay surface. With the original two-year ban commuted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a timely fashion to enter the first of the clay tourneys, the warm up events were supposed to provide the best practice opportunities to lay the foundation for the French Open, where she was an odds favorite just a week ago. Considering that she’s won past titles at the three clay tournaments she received wild cards to, it was a safe bet.

Sharapova came out strong and impressed at the Porsche event in Stuttgart, making it all the way to the semifinals before losing in three hard-fought sets to French woman Kristina Mladenovic. The 30-year-old came up short, however, in her next tour opportunities against tougher competition in Madrid and Rome, where she went out in the second round with an injury retirement, just hours after the French Tennis Federation (FTF) issued a strong rebuke to her wild card request.

“There can be a wildcard for return from injuries; there cannot be a wildcard for return from doping,” FTF president Bernard Giudicelli said. “She might be very disappointed, but it’s my responsibility to protect the game, and a game played without any doubts of results.”

To which Sharapova issued the following statement via twitter:

The WTA has vehemently supported the Russian and issued their own statement.

“She has complied with the sanction imposed,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon in a statement emailed to the Associated Press. “There are no grounds for any member of the (tennis anti-doping program) to penalize any player beyond the sanctions set forth in the final decision resolving these matters.”

Some see the Sharapova debate as money vs. integrity, and a new battleground has now erupted over the grass season. The outgoing Lawn Tennis Association chief Mike Downey wanted to grant the Wimbledon wild card for the main draw, but he seemed to be the only one, with Andy Murray, former Wimbledon champ Pat Cash and SW19 chairman Tim Henman (and former British number one) all saying “no way.”

“I certainly think the All England Club need to stand up and take a stance about this,” said Pat Cash in a BBC 5 interview.

She has already received a wild card to Birmingham and has enough points for the Wimbledon qualifying tournament, where she will need to win three matches in order to make it to the main event. She is currently ranked 211 and has said she is recuperating well to prepare for the grass tournaments.

“A few months ago, I received a wild card offer from Birmingham, one of my most memorable tournaments as a young player,” Sharapova said in a statement. “I am so grateful and excited to be playing this event again! Because of my improved ranking after the first three tournaments of my return, I will also be playing the Wimbledon qualifying in Roehampton, and will not be requesting a wildcard into the main draw.”

Wild cards are at the discretion of the tournaments. Many on the tour do not sympathize with Sharapova since she was banned for a substance that is a well-known performance enhancer. Meldonium, a Latvian drug, isn’t even available for purchase in the country she claims residence in, the U.S.

Next: Roger Federer withdraws from French Open

Those on the tour want to see her work her way back after what many of the players see as having played with an advantage all those years. Her wild card to Birmingham — a tournament she hasn’t played since 2010 — includes a two-year deal without appearance fees and is a step in the right direction for the famous player, where she will be a big draw and is paying her dues. For the grass season, where she saw her first success in 2004 at Wimbledon, it seems that Maria Sharapova is finally getting the message.