Maria Sharapova. That’s hardly a forgettable name; only an amateur would believe otherwise. Decorated with a stellar career and loads of accolades, the Russian star became a beacon of inspiration for youngsters, hoping to make it big on the WTA. However, not everything was glittery in her resume. It was tainted with a nasty controversy and this, in turn, has prompted Serena Williams‘ ex-coach to question her candidacy for the Tennis Hall of Fame.

After enjoying an impressive run, Sharapova’s doping controversy became the bearer of bad news. She was given a 2-year ban(which was later reduced to 15-month on appeal), owing to a positive dope result for the banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open in 2016. The drug meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned list on January 1, 2016. She claimed that she had been taking the drug since 2006 for health reasons and had “not tried to use a performance-enhancing substance”.

Despite hitting back at critics saying they “don’t have the facts,” the Russian sensation was still in quagmires. Later, she returned to the sport only to endure losses to lower-ranked players – her injuries became a constant source of pain. No longer at her peak, Sharapova was pushed into retiring from a sport she loves. A rollercoaster of a journey that it was, however, Rennae Stubbs believes her doping saga could defer her chances as a ‘Hall of Famer’.

Talking on her ‘Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’ on October 23, the Aussie highlighted a troublesome discussion of Sharapova’s chances in the Hall of Fame with her agent Max Eisenbud. While the conversation went south, it mainly focused on whether the Russian star deserves to be inducted. And if she’s lucky enough to be nominated, how she will water down the doping charges that plagued her impressive career.

She said, “I got a lot of flak for this years and years ago from her agent, Max Eisenbud, and he has barely said two words to me since. And I made this comment, and it’s the reason why we have a podcast, actually, because I did the podcast with John Moore time and he asked me the question, you know she’s a Lock Hall of Fame, and I went, well, I go, here’s the bottom line. She is the first player to be a Lock Hall of Famer that has been credibly found guilty of taking a performance enhancing drug. So I said, how the it? A sorry? How are the Hall of Fame going to handle that? How are they going to handle that?”

However, Sharapova hasn’t backed out of her appearances as a spectator. Aiming to stay relevant in the sport, the former World No. 1 marked her attendance at the US Open.

Maria Sharapova mocks herself after an amusing expression at US Open

Russian superstar Maria Sharapova has tasked herself with several business ventures post-retirement. However, she hasn’t let go of the big picture. Subsequently, she proceeded to attend the US Open as a spectator. Having witnessed Aryna Sabalenka‘s semifinal clash in New York, where Sabalenka sealed a 6-3 7(7)-6 win against Emma Navarro, her presence trended online. Later, a viral clip of her reaction during the showdown caught fans’ attention.

Acknowledging her bizarre reaction during the contest, Sharapova took to her social media and hilariously mocked her expressions. “I look like I just missed a second serve return on break point and saw my coach’s reaction.” For those unaware, Belarusian Sabalenka proceeded to define expectations at the Flushing Meadows event; lifting the hardcourt major a year after losing the title decider to Coco Gauff.

As for the former Russian player, she will have to wait and see how her chances of getting inducted as a Hall of Famer play out.