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Andy Murray: Doping offenders should not be given tournament wild cards

Andy Murray believes players who have served doping suspensions, such as Maria Sharapova, should not receive tournament wild cards
Image: Andy Murray believes players who have served doping suspensions, such as Maria Sharapova, should not receive tournament wild cards

Andy Murray feels players who have served doping suspensions should not be given tournament wild cards.

But the world No 1 says he understands why tournament organisers make exceptions for "big names" to attract interest in their events.

Maria Sharapova has been given wild-card slots for tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome despite falling down the rankings as she serves a 15-month doping ban for testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

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Maria Sharapova says she is counting the days until she can return to tennis after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban from two years

With Sharapova's ban ending in April, Wimbledon organisers are grappling with the potential dilemma of whether to hand the 2004 champion a place in this year's competition in July.

"I think you should really have to work your way back. However, the majority of tournaments are going to do what they think is best for their event," Murray told The Times.

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"If they think having big names there is going to sell more seats, then they're going to do that. She (Sharapova) has an opportunity to try to improve her ranking up until that point and potentially not need a wild card.

"But then if she doesn't, that becomes Wimbledon's decision and how they want to play that.

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"I'm sure they'll think long and hard about it and how they feel people will view it and then make the right decision for them."

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