Maria Sharapova Gets Wildcard For Australian Open 2020

Russian great Maria Sharapova has been given a wildcard to the main draw of Australian Open 2020. This means that the Russian won’t have to go through the qualification rounds in order to reach the competitive rounds.

Sharapova was given a wildcard despite the fact that her form has been abysmal and she is not even near-automatic qualification.

In fact, the Russian is currently placed at number 147 in the WTA rankings.

How Did Maria Sharapova React?

Maria Sharapova last won the Australian Open in 2008. The tournament has been good for her even in the recent past. In fact, Maria reached the fourth round last year and upset defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the third round.

“To be in the draw of the Australian Open is incredible. I’ve had wonderful experiences there, from holding the championship trophy to losing some very tough finals as well- there’s been a lot of ups and downs in Australia”- said a very happy Maria Sharapova. 

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She was very happy at another opportunity to compete in the tournament.

However, Sharapova’s short cut entries into tournaments have attracted widespread criticism. Even in the Brisbane Open, Sharapova lost to a qualifier in the first round. This raised further questions about her credibility as a wild card competitor.

“It was a long match. I think this is going to be a good test for my shoulder, not so much right now, but maybe tomorrow, and the day after to see how I feel.” Maria Sharapova said this after her disappointing defeat in the first round of the Brisbane Open.

“I definitely lost speed on it and strength toward the end of the match, but that comes with time.” Maria Sharapova revealed that she is looking to develop a more patient attitude.

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The direct entry into the main draw puts further pressure on Sharapova to ensure flawless performance. There’ll be other players who are equally positioned as her but have to go through the rigours of the qualification rounds.

Do you think it is fair for Maria Sharapova to get a wildcard?