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• Maria Sharapova's Best...
Maria Sharapova is widely regarded as one of the best female sports athletes of all-time, with a decorated tennis career including 36 career singles titles, 5 grand slam victories, and more than 600 match victories since turning pro in 2001. Furthermore, in 11 straight years from 2006, she was the highest paid female athlete in the world, banking in close to $300 million in prize money, appearances, and endorsements.
Because of all of this success, on the 7 March 2016, the tennis world watched in shock as Sharapova had this to say at a press conference in Las Vegas:
• Maria Sharapova Fails ...
And the consequences definitely came. On the 6 June, Independent Tribunal appointed by the ITF concluded that:
www.itftennis.com/news/243888....
“Under article 9.1 the player is automatically disqualified in respect of her results
in the 2016 Australian Open Championship, forfeits 430 WTA ranking points and
prize money of AUS $281,633 obtained in that competitions; Under article 10.2 the period of ineligibility to be imposed is 2 years;”
Just like that, the world’s most influential female athlete was suspended. Support for Sharapova was hard to find, with tennis stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Victoria Azarenka all publicly condemning Sharapova’s actions. This lack of support came as no surprise to fellow female tennis star Jelena Dokic, who in a recent article made bold statements including:
“She doesn’t want to be friends with the girls on tour”
“She never spends time in the players’ lounge”
“…it’s no real surprise that some players don’t have a great opinion of Maria.”
So when it came time for Sharapova to make a comeback to tennis following her 2 year ban, many fellow players had mixed emotions upon her return. One of the most vocal was Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard, saying this in an interview about Sharapova:
• Video
Bouchard has never been too far away from the limelight either. At just 23 years of age, she has reached as high as world number #5, and spent majority of 2014-2015 inside the top 10. However, it is her off-court life that sees her constantly in the headlines. Known as one of the most attractive players on tour, Bouchard’s popular social media posts such as these ensure her every move is followed closely, including going on a blind twitter date early last year.
Her comments did not go unnoticed; however, with reporters constantly question Sharapova on her thoughts on Bouchard’s stance:
• Video
All of this controversy came to the forefront when the two players faced each other in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open. It was an emotional encounter for both players, but ultimately saw Bouchard win, and finished with this awkward encounter at the net:
• 2017 Mutua Madrid Open...
In the aftermath, subtle digs were exchanged on twitter between the stars, with this feud officially crossing the line from a minor argument to bad blood. Despite all this, Bouchard still remains firm that she has no regrets on her decision to call Sharapova out:
• Bouchard: No regrets c...
Both players have die-hard fans, but let me know in the comments: who’s side are you on in this debacle?
29 янв 2018
