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Maria Sharapova: difficult road to the 2017 US Open

By Harry Floyd

ROME, ITALY - MAY 15: Maria Sharapova of Russia in action during the match between Maria Sharapova of Russia and Christina Mchale of USA during The Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2017 - Day Two at Foro Italico on May 15, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - MAY 15: Maria Sharapova of Russia in action during the match between Maria Sharapova of Russia and Christina Mchale of USA during The Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2017 - Day Two at Foro Italico on May 15, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images) /
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Maria Sharapova appeared in the United States to play for the Orange County Breakers. With limited court time in 2017, she has a tough road to the US Open.

Maria Sharapova competed in a World Team Tennis match for the Orange County Breakers. She is expected to play another WTT match for them this month.

The Russian tennis star is returning from a fifteen month suspension from the sport.

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Time will tell if the former world No. 1 can get in competitive enough shape to make a run at the 2017 US Open. Sharapova appears to be taking it one match at a time.

With another WTT match planned, Sharapova is also expected to play some WTA Tour events leading up to the US Open. Those could include tournaments in both Stanford and later Toronto.

Maria Sharapova continues to receive mixed reactions as she makes her return to the sport.

The former world No. 1 in women’s singles tennis shared photos of her on the court for the World Team Tennis event. As for her chances at the 2017 US Open, Sharapova will have to contend with an extremely strong field of players. While she is a former winner at the Grand Slam, her playing time has obviously been much more limited compared to others this year.

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Several top players are seeking their first ever wins at the US Open.

One of those players is Romanian Simona Halep. As the current world No. 2 in women’s singles, Halep is having a fantastic 2017. Earlier in the year, she finished runner-up at the French Open. The US Open is another chance for her to earn her first major tournament win on the WTA Tour.

Former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber has fallen to the No. 3 ranking after Wimbledon. She will likely be aiming to have a strong run at the US Open. Last year, Kerber defeated Karolina Pliskova to win the title. It was her first US Open win and she will be out to defend her title. Other players such as Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza must also be considered strong contenders for the title. Though Muguruza has never fared too well at the US Open, her newfound momentum could carry into play at the major tournament.

Maria Sharapova continues to ease back into competitive WTA action. Stay tuned to see how she fares in the coming months.

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