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Maria Sharapova's hopes of a dream return from doping outcast to a third French Open crown have been shattered after the Russian was surprisingly refused a wild card by organisers.
The 30-year-old, who conquered all on the Parisian clay in 2012 and 2014 but whose career was rocked by a 15-month doping ban last year, was widely expected to be fast-tracked into the tournament.
After making a highly scrutinised return to the circuit last month, Sharapova's ranking, now at 211, was not high enough to warrant an automatic place into the main draw at Roland Garros, which starts on May 28, or the qualifying event held the week before.
But, in an unexpected move, especially as the French Open is already without pregnant Serena Williams and resting Roger Federer, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) took a moral stand that might please some of her rivals but could hit the tournament's TV ratings.
"You can get a wild card when you return from injury, but you cannot get a wild card when returning from a doping suspension," FFT president Bernard Giudicelli said during a news conference.
"I appreciate the media impact of Maria, I appreciate the broadcasters' expectations, but in conscience it was not possible to go beyond the anti-doping code and beyond the application of the rules.
"I'm very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans. They might be disappointed, she might be very disappointed, but it's my responsibility, my mission, to protect the high standards of the game."
French tennis committed to fight against doping
Giudicelli dropped the bombshell shortly before Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium at last year's Australian Open, was due to face Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni at the Italian Open in Rome.
Sharapova withdrew from the match in the third set, citing a left thigh injury and thanking Rome organisers for allowing her to play in the tournament.
"We did not want to treat Maria Sharapova differently," Giudicelli said.
"We are in talks with the tennis authorities on the plan we want to implement to fight against doping. We must have an ambitious plan [to] increase the number of blood tests because we know it's a major element in the fight against doping."
"Maria won twice here, but we have a huge [moral] responsibility."
'Two thirds' of players against Sharapova playing in France
Sharapova's return has been rocky and several rivals have criticised tournament directors at WTA events in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome for offering her a wildcard, arguing that she should be awarded no special treatment.
After reaching the semi-finals in Stuttgart she fell early in Madrid to Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, who had earlier described her as a "cheater".
"I had a lot of players coming up to me privately wishing me good luck — players I don't normally speak to," she said after the match.
"[That] showed me that most people have my opinion and they were just maybe scared to speak out."
Others have been more charitable though, with former great Martina Navratilova recently saying the sniping should stop.
The FFT president said he felt the pressure of public opinion after the 30-year-old Sharapova was invited by organisers to play in the Madrid, Stuttgart and Rome tournaments.
"I read the results of several polls and I could see that about two-thirds were in favour of Maria being granted a wild card, of course I felt some pressure," he said.
The bold decision of the French federation now throws the ball in the court of Wimbledon's organisers who could face a similarly difficult decision when they announce their wildcards on June 20.
Sharapova, who burst into the spotlight in 2004 when beating Serena Williams to win Wimbledon, is likely to need a wild-card invitation for the main draw at the All England Club.
Reaching the Rome semis would have put her inside the cut-off point for the main draw, but she will now have to go through qualifying, which she will be able to enter by right after her first-round win in Rome guaranteed her a high enough ranking.
Reuters/ABC
Topics: tennis, doping-in-sports, sport, france, russian-federation
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