‘Most Unpopular Players in the Locker Room..’- Maria Sharapova Was Once Slammed for Her Attitude by Jailed Tennis Icon Boris Becker

Maria Sharapova is known for her elegance on the tennis court. She has had her fair share of success on and off the court. However, the Russian player was involved in an incident in 2016 that would come to define a low point in her career. The five-time Grand Slam winner failed a doping test at 2016 Australian Open and was consequently banned from competing.

Having served her 15-month suspension, she returned to competition at the Stuttgart Open. As with any other comeback, people were of the opinion that Sharapova needed to polish up her act. On the other hand, German tennis legend and former world No. 1 Boris Becker was seen criticizing Sharapova for her behavior.

Boris Becker Criticizing Maria Sharapova for her unfriendly behavior

The six-time Grand Slam winner once spoke to Telegraph about Sharapova’s unpopularity among her peers off the court. “There’s no secret that she was one of the most unpopular players in the locker room, so a lot of players have their opinions about her.” said the 54-year-old.

He further went on to state, “The question is on her, and how does she treat the comeback? Will she behave the way she behaved before? That would not be so good. Will she be a bit more charming and a bit more friendly to everybody? I hope so.“

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After being barred, she accepted every bit of the blame and accusation that was thrown at her. Moreover, she admitted that she had been taking it as a medicine prescribed by her doctor.

What was the journey like for Sharapova post doping incident?

Sharapova’s teammates and sponsors had conflicting opinions about her. Her major backers quickly distanced themselves from her. Porsche, Tag Heuer, and Nike all canceled their lucrative sponsorship deals with the tennis star.

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In spite of that, racquet manufacturer Head backed Sharapova and offered to extend her contract. In fact, the United Nations removed Sharapova from its list of goodwill ambassadors.

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Overall, this was quite a difficult time in Maria Sharapova’s life. Life was not easy as she struggled big time with her injuries, even after returning.