Tennis player Maria Sharapova looks forward to returning to the courts

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova highlighted the importance for her of returning to the courts after several months of inactivity in an exhibition match against Puerto Rican player Monica Puig.

"It means a lot to play for the first time after many months. I haven't stopped training since March. Tennis has been a part of my life since I was a child and the inactivity wasn't easy," Sharapova reiterated.

Puig won the gold medal in the last Olympic Games in Rio 2016, which is why the Russian tennis player praised her opponent before their match: "It was an achievement not only for her, but for her whole country. It served to encourage young people to choose a sport, whether it's tennis or anything else."

The official comeback of the winner of the four Grand Slam tournaments will be in April 2017, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced her two-year suspension to 15 months for doping.