Maria Sharapova handed Australian Open wildcard

Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova was Wednesday handed an Australian Open wildcard as she attempts to resurrect her career after an injury-plagued 2019. 32-year-old, who won tournament in 2008, has slipped down rankings to 147, outside automatic qualification, and was bounced out of Brisbane International this week in first round. But Russian remains a big name and she will line up at Melbourne Park once again after it was anunced on tournament website that she would be a wildcard.

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Sharapova handed Aussie Open wildcard

Until Brisbane, Sharapova h t played since a first-round loss to career-long rival Serena Williams at US Open in August, with her season ruined by a shoulder injury. "It was a long match. I think this is going to be a good test for my shoulder, t so much right w, but maybe tomorrow and day after to see how I feel," she said after her Brisbane defeat on Tuesday. "I definitely lost speed on it and strength toward end of match, but that comes with time. I have to be patient with that." Sharapova, who me her Australian Open debut in 2003, also revealed she h been battling a virus "where I just couldn't keep anything in".

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