What now for Maria Sharapova?

It’s not quite going to plan, is it? When Maria Sharapova made her much-hyped return to the women’s tour just a few weeks ago, she was supposed to sweep her opposition off the court.

French Open qualifying wildcard? Pah. Pundits worldwide assumed that she’d win Stuttgart and make the cut. Wimbledon wildcard? No need. With victory guaranteed at the first three WTA tournaments she played in, gaining automatic entry to the All England Club was a done deal. World number one? With Serena absent who better to ascend to the throne?

The problem is, it’s not happening.

Maria has not only come up short at both of the tournaments she has played thus far on Tour, but has done so against big-hitting players that she would have previously expected to dominate.

That these players happen to be two of her more vocal critics makes the situation more worrisome.

Maria Sharapova is one of the greatest competitors – man or woman – to have played our game. She has a nigh on unrivalled will to win, which has helped her transcend the sport in a way that only a handful of her peers have managed to do.

Being the subject of verbal attacks – of which she is no stranger – should have given Maria greater motivation. Instead, it appears to have had the opposite effect.

In both of the matches that she has lost since her return, Sharapova has looked ‘tight’.

Against Mladenovic she was up a set and a break before falling to, admittedly, one of the in-form players on the WTA.

Yesterday’s defeat to Bouchard was much more concerning. Yes, it was a thrilling scrap that went down to the wire. But Maria was beaten by a player who has been desperately short of form for upwards of 18 months. What’s more, Sharapova had history on her side, having lost just a single set in their four previous encounters.

Of course, Bouchard had additional motivation going into the match, the Canadian claiming: “I had a lot of players coming up to me privately wishing me good luck.”

But Sharapova is the consummate professional; a player who has previously distanced herself from the locker room and said that she cares little for the opinions of her peers.

Until now?

Maria pre-ban would undoubtedly have turned the negativity of her fellow pros into positive motivation. Serena aside (a player who dominated her on the court for over a decade), Maria was nigh on unflappable in the face of such opprobrium.

Maria post-ban looks nervous; dare we say mentally fragile. Yes, there is positive emotion in abundance, and the will to win is still very much there. But when it matters, when she plays the ‘big’ points on which so many matches hinge, she has so far faltered. And the more that she falters, the harder it will be for her to recover the aura of invincibility she wore so well.

Her supporters would argue that she is simply short on match practice, and that is undoubtedly true. But Maria has not been injured, nor has she given birth (as Vika has, and Serena is due to do later this year). Instead, she has had time to mentally and physically recharge, and focus her attention on preparing for this very moment.

That she is struggling to perform to the level that we expect from her suggests a mental frailty that is not commonly associated with the five-time major champion.

Of course, this could all change in the coming weeks.

Maria goes to the French Open as the bookies favourite, and in a wide open field could well deliver on that prediction. But she needs to recover some of that formidable mental strength that separated her from the chasing pack in years gone by. To do that, she must start winning the big matches against her toughest opponents – whether that is a Top 10 player or a vocal critic.

That she will eventually rediscover her form seems likely. That she will be the dominant force that she once was remains to be seen. What is certain is that the road ahead for Maria will be a long one, and on present form will require help in the form of abundant wildcards.