Former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Barbora Strycova has become the latest player to criticise the allowances being made for Maria Sharapova on her return to tennis.

Sharapova, a former world number one and five-time grand slam winner, was initially banned for two years after failing a doping test at last year's Australian Open before having the punishment reduced to 15 months on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

She will return to action at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, playing her first match on Wednesday, April 26, which is the day her suspension ends.

Handed a wild card to the tournament, Sharapova can play no part on the opening Monday or Tuesday, and allowing her to compete has been questioned by Britain's Heather Watson and Denmark's former world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

Strycova, a 31-year-old Czech, almost walked away from the sport in February 2013 when she was banned after testing positive for the stimulant sibutramine, which she unknowingly ingested when taking a slimming aid.

She served a six-month suspension but the red carpet was not rolled out on her own return, Strycova said.

World number 20 Strycova said in the Daily Telegraph: "I think it's not okay. I think when you do something like this you have to be punished. But she is Maria and what can you do? I will not get p***** off about it. I'm a bit shocked actually with what is happening at the tournament in Stuttgart but I can't change it so I won't think about it.

Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Show all 17 1 /17 Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion The Maria Sharapova wildcard debate A number of current and former tennis pros have weighed in with their opinion on whether or not Sharapova should be handed a series of wildcards as she returns from her suspension for taking the cardiac drug meldonium. AFP/Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Eugenie Bouchard She’s a cheater and to me, I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again.. I think from the WTA it sends the wrong message to young kids: ‘Cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms’. Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Caroline Wozniacki "First of all I think she's a good draw for tennis, women's tennis in general. But two, I think it's questionable allowing - no matter who it is - a player that is still banned to play a tournament that week. So from the tournament side I think it's disrespectful to the other players and the WTA. Obviously rules are twisted and turned in favour of who wants to do what." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Victoria Azarenka "She has such a huge fanbase and obviously that's going to bring more attraction to see how she will do, so I think it's good for tennis, good entertainment." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Dominika Cibulkova “I don’t think it is right but what can we do about it? She’s still banned but she can come on site on Wednesday, that’s pretty strange." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Angelique Kerber "It's a little bit strange for the players that she can walk on site on Wednesday and she can play on Wednesday." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Heather Watson “From the tournament standpoint, she will bring in the crowds and make money. But, from a moral standpoint, you should have to work your way back up if you've been on a ban. It just seems a bit easy.” Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Simona Halep "Her return is good for tennis, she is impatient, she wants to play and win." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Venus Williams "I think the bodies have made their decision, and she has an opportunity to come back and continue her career. I think she should be allowed to continue that. If people want to give her wildcards, I guess that's the tournaments' decision as they weigh other wildcards. It will be nice to have her back in the game." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Svetlana Kuznetsova "I understand, because if we talk about cheaters, people who cheat, you would say, 'Why would cheaters get a wildcard?'. But then if there is some mistake, you know, it's a little bit of a different story." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Andy Murray "I think you should really have to work your way back." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Roger Federer "It´s a tough one. What do you want me to tell you? Like you said, because it´s the first, it kind of is what it is. You know, some people will like it; some people won´t. She paid the price for what she did, so that´s all you can say there." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga "It's like if you give a sweet to a kid who did a bad thing, it's going to do it again. It sends the wrong message." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Andy Roddick "If there's a smaller event that will benefit from having Maria, I don't begrudge them giving her the card. The Grand Slams are different. They're held to a higher standard because there's so much interest in them." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Nick Kyrgios "I'm anti-anything that's performance-enhancing, massively against it. I'm not the one to say what [violators] should -- or shouldn't -- get afterwards, but it doesn't make sense to support people who cheat." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion Jack Sock I don't know. It's a tournament director's decision who gets [wild cards]. As a player, I have no say one way or another." Getty Maria Sharapova's comeback divides opinion And as for Maria herself? “I can’t control what people say. To have nicer things to say about me in press conferences, what will that change to my tennis?" Getty

"Of course it would have been nice to have wild cards when I came back but I'm not Sharapova. Nothing changed for her. She can play the same tournaments as me.

"I don't have anything against her, and if I play her I will prepare the same - I won't feel pushed to win any more than I normally do. That's her problem; she did it; this is her career. What I don't like is that she can play Wednesday, whereas we are coming from the Fed Cup and we have to play on Tuesday. It's nothing against her, but for me it is against the rules."

Sharapova has never hidden the fact she has few friends on the tennis tour, saying at Wimbledon four years ago: "I'm not really friendly or close to many players."

That has not changed, according to Strycova who said: "I'm not her friend. I don't think anyone is her friend on the tour. She doesn't have (friends), I don't think, because she doesn't talk to anybody."