WTA Tour - Furious Sharapova blasts WTA

“To ask me, or any of the other players, to do a long shoot like this is not right. Do you think the NBA would ask their top players to do a five-hour shoot the day before a playoff game?”

Maria Sharapova hit out at the ruling body of women's tennis for making her take part in a publicity shoot on the eve of the Italian Open. via Eurosport

[Jimmy]

She's absolutely right, it's unfair to her. She's been a great ambassador for the sport but they're taking advantage.

[Freda Gonzales]

They had no right to put Maria thru all of that on
the eve of a tournamant.Who do they think they are.

[gene jacobson]

The people who signed her to a contract? The people who make sure she gets equal money for 2 of 3 sets? The people who support her? The people who pay the fees and purchase the merchandise that allows her to make millions of dollars a year playing a game, whenever she wants? She breaks a nail and she pulls out of tournaments with "unspecified" injuries. She won in dahar and was too tired to play in dubai. She's a spoiled brat who does not appreciate her fans nor the gift she was given which enables her to play, rather than work, for a living. She is NO kind of ambassador for the sport, she is about Maria Sharapova and nothing else. For that matter, I think she ought be living in Moscow, not Florida, with the rest of her Russian teammates. How does an athlete rate a permanent green card anyway? Over thousands of people who could actually contribute to the quality of life in the U.S.? No one is holding a gun to her head making her play tennis. If she wants to, then she can play by the same rules the other women do. Or not play at all.

[Fed Express]

I agree with Gene. Alot of people are fans of sharaporva simply because of her leggy appearance. While she is an ok player in the courts, i hesistate to refer her as a ambassador for the sport. What has she done to deserve that title except for a few grunts, a few shrieks and clenched fists ? How is she inspiring ? Her father is an idiot as well. The least said about him, the better.