It was the second opening round loss this season for Maria Sharapova as she bowed to Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-4 at Indian Wells causing her to rethink her coaching team and let go of Swen Groeneveld after a four-year stint.

"Although we have mutually agreed to part ways during this time, I have been incredibly fortunate to have a team leader like him in my corner", Sharapova had said of the separation. The previous loss at the Qatar Total in Doha by Monica Niculescu was the first but the sting of two might have been more frustrating as she is still trying to get her game on track from the 15-month drug ban.

Sharapova had the pleasure of winning two titles at Indian Wells before and says that "I would have loved to stay longer it it just not going to happen this year". Many are thinking of how this will affect Sharapova's tennis career now that Groeneveld is gone and what other issues might have sparked the dismissal.

Was it because of losing opening rounds? Or is her financial ability at stake? Most will admit that Maria Sharapova was a highly marketable tennis player and even after the drug ban while some sponsors chose to disembark on their relationship such as Tag Heuer watches and Avon, others stayed with the Russian player such as Nike and Porsche.

Karen Earl, the chairperson of the European Sponsorship Association says that "the sponsors are not endorsing her because she has been the most successful player, it is because of what she brings off the court".

Earl also mentions that Sharapova's ability to admit right away that she failed the test and sorry she let people down prohibited the 'Sharapova Brand' from being tarnished or her sponsorship abilities compromised.

Maria Sharapova will not only have to go back to 'square one' as to how she'll regain her consistency at going deep in tournaments, but how she'll also perhaps capture another title from the one she's earned at the Tianjin Open back in October of last year.

She will also have an added issue of gaining a new member/coach to her team that will help propel her success even further, which may be relied on her future results at tournaments and to stay healthy. Sharapova says that "I've been working through a few physical things and that's been frustrating because there's been a lot of starts and stops since I've come back".

Sharapova has her work cut out for her in acquiring a new coach, being that she isn't a younger, rising star anymore and whose to say has at best five more years in the game. She must push to stay healthy to be able to get her game play 'on point' again and then hopefully to become successful in the long run.