Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard had some harsh words for Maria Sharapova, calling the Russian tennis star a “cheater” who shouldn’t be allowed back in the sport after failing a doping test.
“She’s a cheater,” Bouchard said in an interview with TRT World. “I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again… It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way.”
Sharapova is returning from a 15-month ban for testing positive for the banned drug meldonium.
On Wednesday, the five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 won the first match of her comeback, defeating Roberta Vinci in straight sets at the Porsche Grand Prix in Germany.
Rather than being forced to go through qualifying, Sharapova received a wild-card entry into the clay-court event, and she hopes to get another one for next month’s French Open.
“I don’t think that’s right,” Bouchard said. “I think from the [Women’s Tennis Association] it sends the wrong message to young kids — cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms.
“[Sharapova] is not someone I can say I look up to anymore.”
