Sharapova given 2020 Australian Open wildcard

Maria Sharapova will receive an Australian Open wildcard so will be part of the line-up for the first Grand Slam event of the season which kicks off in a matter of days.

Sharapova lost in the first round at the Brisbane International on Tuesday night but due to her pedigree which has seen her previously win the title in 2008, she has been given a wildcard and it is something that the Russian is looking forward to.

"To be in the draw of the Australian Open is incredible," Sharapova said.

"I've had wonderful experiences there, from holding the championship trophy to losing some very tough finals as well -- there's been a lot of ups and downs in Australia.

"So to have another chance, another opportunity, to compete on all those courts is very special.

"I've always structured my schedule to compete the best that I can to be in the best physical shape for those tournaments. It's never really been so much about ranking; (it's more about) can I get further maybe than the previous year? Can I do better? Can I challenge myself?

"So it's kind of always been my thinking process, but even more so because I have to be a little bit smarter toward the end of my career."

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