The United States Tennis Association (USTA) yesterday was given a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open – last major of the season to former world number one, Maria Sharapova. The Russian five-time was granted the wildcard into her first time since her two-year doping ban for testing positive for heart disease drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
Her suspension was reduced to 15 months following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In its statement, the USTA also listed former US Open champions who previously received main-draw wild cards, including Martina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro.
It added that "Her suspension under the terms of the tennis anti-doping program was completed and therefore was not one of the factors weighed in our wild-card selection process," the USTA wrote in a statement. "Consistent with past practice, a wild card was provided to a past US [Open] champion who needed the wild card for entry into the main draw."
"Additionally, Sharapova has volunteered to speak to young tennis players at the USTA National Campus about the importance of the tennis anti-doping program and the personal responsibility each player has to comply with the program's requirements," the USTA statement said.
Sharapova was one of eight players who were granted wild cards for the 2017 US Open, including Americans Taylor Townsend and Kayla Day.
The US Open begins Aug. 28 in New York.
