Jelena Dokic reveals the truth about Maria Sharapova and what she is like on the tennis tour

MARIA Sharapova’s return to the tennis circuit has not been met with positivity by all players. The debate about whether the ban was long enough will not end. She has to live with it for the rest of her life, says JELENA DOKIC.

Maria Sharapova in action at Melbourne Park. Picture: Getty Images

NO-ONE in tennis really knows Maria Sharapova.

She’s been on the scene for well over a decade, but to the vast majority of people on the circuit she remains a mystery.

She doesn’t want to be friends with the girls on tour. She’s tough like that.

As a player, you would never see her at tournaments except across the other side of the net.

Maria Sharapova is a mystery to many, says Jelena Dokic.

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She never spends time in the players’ lounge, which is not unusual with the big players.

You might see the likes of Roger Federer now and then, but others like Sharapova like to keep a low profile.

They have their own schedule and don’t like to eat with their on-court rivals.

We’re not exactly all friends, it’s not a secret.

Like most people in tennis, I don’t know Maria personally.

I’ve played her once at Wimbledon in 2003 and hit with her on another occasion.

There was not much conversation; just a quick “hello”.

I remember seeing her a few weeks later and she wouldn’t say a word.

Maria Sharapova won the Australian Open title in 2008.

I never took it personally; that was normal with Maria and we all knew it.

In a way it has helped her be successful.

She’s tough, she’s competitive and wants to beat everyone.

That has never wavered in her.

For her, the thing is she doesn’t want to get close to anyone on the tour.

She doesn’t believe in those relationships and obviously finds it hard to be friends with someone she has to go out there and beat.

That’s understandable and I believe in that to a certain degree because it is so competitive.

Others such as Eugenie Bouchard have a similar philosophy.

Then there is Serena Williams, who from my experience does not fall into that category.

Williams would always be up for a chat and would ask how you’ve been doing.

She was also a lot more visible around the corridors and liked a bit of interaction.

It is a personal choice.

With that sort of approach it’s no real surprise that some players don’t have a great opinion of Maria.

Maria Sharapova is still a fan favourite.

That failed drug test certainly wouldn’t have helped her popularity among the playing fraternity.

It happened and she can’t escape that; she will have to live with it for the rest of her career.

When I was playing I was listing down everything, including Panadol’s and vitamins.

All athletes are responsible for what they put in their bodies, and Maria is no exception.

There is no excuse for that and I think there will always be a debate about whether the ban was long enough.

Now, although she has served her time and she had been back for a few months I think there is still some anger from some of the players.

I think it was more they were upset with the way she was welcomed back getting wildcards and playing on big courts whereas others in the same position might not have received the same treatment.

You have to remember players are super competitive.

The flip side of that is that Maria is a superstar who is known beyond the sport. She has millions of followers on social media and she is a massive draw card.

Chinese fans show their support for Sharapova at the Shenzhen Open.

She’s so big for tennis, which is why tournaments were so keen for her to come back on tour.

In China, she was treated like a rock star upon her return. That in turn created enormous attention for the tournament.

The players’ views are understandable too, it is a tough balancing act between wanting her at tournaments with the promotion she brings and putting too much of a spotlight on her given what occurred.

The real question though is will she get back to her best? It will be worth watching.

Originally published as Jelena Dokic reveals the truth about Maria Sharapova and what she is like on the tennis tour