WTA: Miami refusal: Maria Sharapova missing because of arm injury

Former world number one Maria Sharapova has cancelled her participation in the WTA Premier Mandatory Tournament in Miami starting Tuesday due to an arm injury.

“I’m very sorry I can’t compete in one of my favourite tournaments because of a left forearm injury,” Sharapova said in an official statement,”I’ll give my all to get back on the tour as soon as possible”.

For the five-time Grand Slam winner, Jennifer Brady from the USA moves into the main field. Miami tournament director James Blake showed understanding for the Russian:”I know how much Maria would have liked to have played in Miami this year, I can understand her disappointment.

Sharapova had already failed in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Two days after the 4:6, 4:6 defeat against the aspiring Japanese Naomi Osaka, the 30-year-old separated from her long-term coach Sven Groeneveld.

Interview with Maria Sharapova

The current world rankings-41. since her return to the WTA tour in April 2017 after a doping ban, “MaSha” has been searching for her old form and constancy.

Since their comeback around eleven months ago, Sharapova’s list of successes so far includes the semi-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, the round of 16 at the US Open in New York, the tournament victory in Tianjin and a semi-finals in Shenzhen at the beginning of this season.