Wimbledon: Maria Sharapova retires from first-round of Wimbledon with injury

Sharapova in press conference 

Maria Sharapova, who came back from latest shoulder injury to play on the grass, retires in the 1st round of Wimbledon, down 0-5 in the third set to Pauline Parmentier after being treated for pain in her left wrist/lower arm. Sharapova a born fighter often now unable to fight.

Since January, the 32-year-old Russian tennis player had played just one tournament, making her comeback on the grass in Mallorca, as she went the knife for shoulder injury but it’s not been a triumphant return.

It’s been same story line for Sharapova since her comeback from a 15-month drugs ban after the Russian was tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. 

She has been eliminated more times in the first round than she’s reached the quarter-finals of majors and the five-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t posted a single semi-final result.

Sharapova beckoned on her trainer after losing the second set, to receive some attention on her left forearm which she then disclosed it’s a problem she’s experienced plenty of times in the past.

‘I’ve had a history of a tendon in my left forearm flaring up. It happened today in the second set,’ she said. ‘Certainly it’s not easy, not the way – I mean, if I finish a match – it’s very rare that I withdraw from a match in the middle of the match. That certainly means that it’s painful, yeah.”

‘It’s kind of a tricky injury. I’ve had this before. I haven’t really gotten a really good clarification from anyone that I’ve seen on what really causes it.’

Sharapova was apparently upset when asked about her mental state and whether she would consider calling it quit on the sport after so many injury setbacks.

‘I don’t want to leave,’ she defiantly said. ‘Everyone has a job in this place. You guys have a job. Of course, I withdrew in the middle of the match. I rarely do that. I haven’t given a press conference in a long time at a Grand Slam. I want to show up.”

‘I’m still proud that I’m here. This is not the easy way. I think the easy way would be just for me to maybe do other things because I’ve set up the opportunities for myself.”

‘This is far from easy. I’ve never taken the easy route. I’ve always worked, committed, focused. Like I said, these moments are hard, but I love what I do. I still have a lot of passion for it.”

‘Yeah, I mean, it’s, what, 30, 40 minutes after the match. I just saw a doctor, did a scan. Those things are not fun. I haven’t seen my team yet. This is part of the job.’