Sharapova ‘not focused’ on US Open wildcard

Maria Sharapova is refusing to be drawn into speculation about whether or not she will be offered a US Open wildcard. Speaking after her first round win over Jennifer Brady at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Sharapova said that she preferred to focus on the positives and negatives of her performance, rather than the USTA’s decision to award her a wildcard.

“So much was put on the decision of the wild card of the French Open, and it didn’t work out,” Sharapova told the press following her win over Brady. “It’s not something that I’m focusing on.

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“When I started playing in the clay season, there was so much focus on the French Open wild card and Wimbledon, and really around the Grand Slams.

“And I understand that the Grand Slams are the big events, they’re the ones you want to compete at. But when you’ve been away from the game for such a long period of time, my focus is solely on the event that I’m playing at.

“And for me, playing here is just as big, and I’ll take away a lot of positives, maybe a few negatives, and I’ll have to work through those just as much as I would at the U.S. Open.”

Sharapova needed just over two hours to down world No.80 Jennifer Brady. After coasting through the first set of her match, the world No.171 struggled in the second before sealing the 6-1 4-6 6-0 win. It was not only her first match back from the injury she sustained in Rome, but her first match on the US hard courts since 2015.

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Sharapova has been offered wildcards to Stanford, the Rogers Cup (Toronto) and Cincinnati during the US Open Hard Court Series. The decision whether or not to award her a wildcard to the US Open will be made later this month.

“I’m very fortunate and grateful for the tournaments that have provided me wild cards, and I would say that 99 percent of them have at this point,” she went on. “A lot of these events I’ve played at before, and I have a history with the people and the fans and the tournament itself, so the opportunities that I have, I’m taking it.”