Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova
MOSCOW -- Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova will skip the World Tennis Association’s tournament in Austria’s Linz, offering USD250,000 in prize money, due to a shoulder injury, the WTA’s press service said on Thursday.
Earlier, the 32-year-old Russian refused to take part in the VTB Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow due on October 12-20.
"I am very sorry that Maria can't come to Linz. But I fully understand her, the health of the player always has priority," the tournament’s Director Sandra Reichel said.
The Russian player has skipped a vast part of this tennis season due to a shoulder injury, she stayed out of competitions from February to mid-June.
In early August, Sharapova parted ways with her Swedish coach Thomas Hogstedt, who had trained her between 2011 and 2013 and with whom she resumed training partnership in 2018.
Sharapova is currently ranked number 137 in the WTA’s ranking, having won 36 tournaments. She is Russia’s most decorated female tennis player having won a total of five Grand Slam tournaments, namely the Australian Open in 2008, the French Open in 2012 and 2014, Wimbledon in 2004 and the US Open in 2006. She also clinched the silver in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and was the 2008 Federations Cup champion.
The tournament in Linz is slated on October 7-13. Sharapova won competitions in Linz in 2006. (TASS)
