US Open 2017: Does winning make Maria Sharapova less of a doper and cheat?

Wozniacki is right, and so is Mladenovic and anyone else, to speak against the favorable treatment and the obvious bending over backward by the WTA and the US Open for Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova doubted her abilities to clear the qualifying rounds at either the Wimbledon or US Open. Otherwise, she would have taken the Agassi route and played the challenger tournaments and qualifying rounds at WTA events, and refused the wild cards for the main draws. This would have been the right thing to do and won her the respect and admiration of even her haters. However, Sharapova would rather be injured or sick than play the qualifying rounds at the Wimbledon, and WTA events.

US Open’s wild card to Sharapova sent the wrong message

Even Patrick Mouratoglou, the highly successful coach of Serena Williams, believes that the US Open’s decision to award Sharapova the wild card, after her doping suspension, sends the wrong message. “I don’t think it sends a good message. It’s like I take something away from you because you did something wrong but then I give you a hand. Don’t help a player that has lost her ranking because of testing positive. Don’t help them come back to the top faster.” Patrick further added, “it would be a great message the tennis world sent to the fans, whoever is tested positive, whether superstar or not, it’s the same treatment. They should vote in a rule someone who comes back from a ban for doping shouldn’t get a wild card coming back. I get it. I know it’s exciting for any tournament director to have Sharapova in the draw. The stadium will be full, sponsors happy, TV ratings. But let her play her way into the top 100 and deserve her place in the draw. It’s nothing against her. I would say if it’s anyone.”

Sharapova is a doper

No matter what Sharapova’s fans or the WTA, and US Open say; the fact remains that she consumed a performance enhancing substance for over 10 years of her professional career, and that substance was a staple of the Russian soldiers, stationed in the rough mountainous terrains of Afghanistan, and athletes.

It doesn’t matter whether Chris Evert, who did not object to the selling of Sugarpova candies to athletes at the very entrance of the Chris Evert Academy, Navratilova, Kuznetsova, and others think. Apparently, these great players misguidedly believe that Sharapova’s charm and popularity are irreplaceable for the growth of viewership and sponsorship at the WTA events.

Wozniacki speaks out against the US Open

Therefore, it is important for the US Open and WTA to consider voices such as Wozniacki’s, who after her loss to Ekaterina Makarova said, “when you look on center court, I understand completely the business side of things but someone who comes back from a drugs sentence and performance-enhancing drugs, and all of a sudden gets to play every single match on center court, I believe is a questionable thing to do. I think it doesn’t set a good example.”

However, the US Open and WTA are both complicit in promoting Sharapova type characters who, are rotten to the core, but highly marketable and popular. It is obvious that Sharapova was never repentant or sorry for doping. She was merely upset about being caught using PEDs.

Sharapova shows her true colors

It took a few wins at the US Open for Sharapova to express her true thoughts about the entire doping incident and everyone else who was against her deserving the wild cards only because she was caught doping. Sharapova emboldened by her wins at the US Open responded to Wozniacki’s remarks with her very sarcastic statement, “with regards to scheduling, as you know, I don’t make the schedule,” Sharapova responded. “I’m a pretty big competitor. If you put me out in the parking lot of Queens in New York City, I’m happy to play there. That’s not what matters to me. All that matters to me is I’m in the fourth round. Yeah, I’m not sure where she is.”

It seems Sharapova had been waiting for a big stage opportunity to cut her detractors down to their sizes. Her words for Wozniacki only prove that she has little respect for what is right, and values winning over everything else. She would stoop to any level to win.

However, I now see Anastasija in the quarter finals. I ‘m not sure where you are Maria.