Sharapova should not be allowed to play: Bouchard

Sharapova beat Italian Roberta Vinci in the first round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Wednesday after receiving a controversial wild card. 

Sharapova was banned for two years after testing positive at the 2016 Australian Open. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her ban to 15 months, while finding Sharapova was not an “intentional doper” but “bore some degree of fault” for relying on her agent to check the prohibited list for changes and failing to ensure he had done so. 

Bouchard, a 2014 Wimbledon finalist, told the Istanbul-based TRT World in an interview that a bad example had been set. “She’s a cheater and ... I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again,” she said.