Should Sharapova have been given the wild card for at least the qualifying rounds of the French Open? This whole issue had already been beaten to death by the media and the fans even prior to the French Open verdict yesterday. Here are some pointed observations regarding this much discussed issue.

Sharapova doped for ten years and doped even more before important matches. YES her PED was not banned prior to 2016 but she was taking it for performance enhancement all the while and then continued taking it after its ban.

She should have been humble during her ban and then perhaps people might have accepted her “didn’t read the memo” excuse too.

She should neither have applied for nor accepted any of the wild cards awarded to her, and played in the qualifying rounds of the challengers, if required, to express her remorse and humility and then requested for a wild card for the French and Wimbledon with a plea to the tennis community while expressing her remorse yet again and requesting everyone to forgive her “for not reading the memo,” and allowing her a chance to play in slams.

The French Open authorities took the right decision and the same should have been taken by all the others who awarded her the wild card and set the wrong example that it’s okay to dope as long as you are a star.

No one can escape their karma, and even Sharapova will need to work her way through, not around, it.