Maria Sharapova is 'Unstoppable'? Russian hints at retiring post Australian Open 2020 loss

Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova’s Australian Open campaign came to an end in the first round itself. Maria Sharapova lost to 19th seed Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-4. The five-time Grand Slam title winner was able to participate in the tournament after being given a wild card entry, helped by the fact that she won the competition in 2008.

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Last year, Maria Sharapova had reached the fourth round of the tournament. However, injuries forced her to miss the French Open. Sharapova participated in the Wimbledon and the US Open but made her exit in the 2nd and 1st rounds of the tournaments respectively. In recent years, Sharapova has struggled with injuries and was also suspended for testing positive during a doping test.

In the post-match conference, Sharapova was non-committal about her playing future, potentially hinting at her retirement even before the Australian Open next year. Fitness is set to play a crucial role in her longevity in the sport, as her stocks are declining on and off the court by the date. At the age of 32, her desire and dedication to play at the highest level has come under immense scrutiny once again.

Maria Sharapova vs Donna Vekic

During the post-match interview, Donna Vekic said that she has always enjoyed playing on a big stage and is happy to have won her match. This was Vekic's second year at the Rod Laver Arena. Vekic last played against Maria Sharapova in the 2018 French Open, where the 32-year-old Russian won in two closely fought sets. Since then, Vekic has seen a career surge. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2019 US Open and broke through to the top 20.

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In other matches, 2016 Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta lost her first-round match against Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-2. It was Konta's second match since last year’s US Open. She missed most of the season following the US Open due to a tendinitis-related problem in her right knee. Konta said that she is happy to have started playing again and to be in physically better shape than she was in September last year. Meanwhile, Jabeur, who is currently ranked 78, said that her goal this year is to make it into the top 20.

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