WTA: Maria Sharapova at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – The tough comeback

Almost exactly one year ago Maria Sharapova returned to the WTA tour in Stuttgart at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (this week LIVE on DAZN). The comeback is more difficult than many observers had anticipated.

By Jörg Allmeroth from Stuttgart

When the Fed Cup fighters from Germany and the Czech Republic cleared the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon, there was a small additional show on the Centre Court for a clever group of stubborn fans. Those who had stayed after the sad start of the international duel were able to experience Maria Sharapova’s first training session live. Four coaches and coaches surrounded Sharapova, who fought the balls across the Centre Court with fierce determination.

She also had an old, new companion at her side in the sandbox: the Swede Thomas Hogstedt, who is now to ensure that Sharapova’s performance stagnation becomes playful and numerical progress again.

“I want to and must be more efficient and make better use of my opportunities,” says Sharapova, who is currently ranked 42nd in the world rankings, well below her own expectations and hopes.

Stuttgart, the tournament of her worldwide advertising partner Porsche, is once again a decisive milestone for the 31-year-old Russian, one of the best-known and most polarising sportswomen in the world. One year ago Sharapova made her sensational comeback at the Grand Prix competition in Swabia after 15 months of doping ban, it was a media spectacle, a flashlight circus as this event had never experienced before in its 25-year history.

Sharapova showed nerves of steel in the crossfire of various heated press conferences as well as on the Centre Court. After the time on the penalty bench it was almost a sensational story of coming, seeing and winning for Sharapova, only in the semi-final she finally stumbled against the Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic.

Only a few of the hikers on the tennis tour, however, joined in the applause about Sharapova’s courageous return, no wonder, as the Russian was never part of the Harmoniekosmos´ of the WTA caravan and deliberately did not cultivate any friendships with other players. Her point was and is clear, she represents him with icy clarity: “I do my work, close the office and then I go home.”

Sharapova was certainly not to be surprised that some of her rivals reacted with barely concealed gloating joy to the comeback mission that quickly became complicated. After the lightning start in Stuttgart, the balance sheet of the returnee deteriorated more and more, there were enough slips. The five-time Grand Slam winner, however, not only fought ambitious rivals who regarded successes against her as an extraordinary trophy, but also against her own body, which was prone to injury.

Instead of attacking the world’s best, Sharapova sat around in doctor’s surgeries – or was forced to remain inactive during breaks. “Everything you set out to do then bursts. You have no competitive toughness, you have no playing experience. You have no rhythm,” says Sharapova.

Great victories remained a rarity, a radiant, probably even the most outshining moment was the US Open opening success against the then second in the world rankings Simona Halep (Romania). “But it was hardly possible to maintain a high level of resistance,” says Sharapova, “these bitter setbacks, these annoying injuries, were repeated.

Has Sharapova probably had the best of her career, the longest earning athlete on the planet, this attractive figure in the tennis circuit? This question had been asked and doubts expressed before; after the shoulder operation in 2008 this was.

But the Russian managed an impressive re-entry, although she had to rehearse a completely new serve because of the attacked shoulder part. She won more Grand Slam titles, finally had the complete quartet together, the titles of Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York.

She was usually motivated by her opponent Serena Williams, the outstanding figure in this tennis epoch, says Sharapova: “I wanted to get back into the big matches with her and beat her”.

And now, many years and a doping ban later, Sharapova is once again seeking his way to the top. She’s not one to give up quickly and lose patience. Yet her loyal assistant Sven Groeneveld, the Swedish coach, recently had to give way, the comeback mission had hopelessly stalled there. Sharapova is now hoping for an initial spark in a tournament, for a cup triumph that would encourage and end the standstill.

Stuttgart (first round against Caroline Garcia/France) is a place with which the longing is connected, “that the knot really bursts”, says Sharapova, “I have so many good memories of the tournament”. She has won here three times, in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

But probably none of the past victories could keep up with a future victory. With a win next Sunday.