STUTTGART: Maria Sharapova spent time prior to the start of the Stuttgart Grand Prix flinging a factory-fresh 700-horsepower Porsche 911 RT2 RS around a test track in Germany’s automobile capital.
For the five-time Grand Slam winner who turned 31 last week, the PR exercise with former F1 driver Mark Webber, alongside a photo shoot for a loyal sponsor, was a joy in comparison to last season.
After serving a 15-month drugs ban for use of the illegal heart medication meldonium, Sharapova’s return to the WTA circuit began in Stuttgart exactly a year ago.
She is back, coached for a second time by Swede Thomas Hogstedt after splitting in March with Sven Groeneveld, and begins in the first round against France’s Caroline Garcia.
Her 2017 Stuttgart comeback rekindled fond memories for the Los Angeles-based Russian, who lifted the title three years in a row from 2012-2014.