By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Maria Sharapova would be playing as a wildcard at Brisbane, a first for the former World Number 1 ranked tennis player.
Falling to number 133 after a series of injuries and a year of inactivity due to her substance banning, Sharapova is just starting to revive her career again.
The five-time major winner whole-heartedly accepted the invitation and was thankful for the opportunity as she’s seeing this as a stepping stone for the Australian Open 2020.
Since her return to the sport, Sharapova still has not reached a major or a tournament final in two years, and she is aiming to get back in top shape to compete for a top finish.
However, she is still recuperating from her shoulder injury but is expected to be 100 percent in the month of February.
“As long as the shoulder stays healthy and my body allows me to, I hope there is a lot of time left for me,” Sharapova said.
