Maria Sharapova drops out of top 350 in WTA rankings after Australian Open Round 1 loss

Maria Sharapova’s woes continued as she lost in the first round of the Australian Open. The former World No.1, who has had a dismal few years due to injuries and a doping ban, lost to Donna Vekic 3-6, 4-6 in Melbourne. The first-round exit has caused the 32-year-old Russian to fall out of the world’s top 350 in the WTA rankings.

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Sharapova spent most of 2019 plagued by injuries, with a dismal record of having completed just 15 matches. Her ranking took such a beating that she needed a wild card to compete in the Australian Open. Maria Sharapova played her last game as a top seed in 2015 when she finished runner-up to Serena Williams in Melbourne and the season as World No.4.

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Maria Sharapova slides in the WTA rankings

Tuesday’s loss resulted in the 145th-ranked Maria Sharapova to fall more than 200 points and outside the top 350 of the WTA rankings. If Maria Sharapova intends to regain lost ground, she will have to work harder than ever and capitalize on every wild card that comes her way. Sharapova's performance against Vekic displayed glimpses of her lost glory. However, her frailty and insecurity were evident when the stakes were high.

The 32-year-old is still hopeful of regaining at least some of her lost form. During the post-match interview, Maria Sharapova said that though she could not predict the future, she would love to get herself into the proper form to compete in the tournaments she desires.

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