Maria Sharapova Wins First WTA Title Since Doping Ban

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova conquered her first WTA title since her return to the circuit in April, after serving a 15-month suspension for doping. The victory was achieved on Sunday in Tianjin, China.

The former world number one, currently ranked 86th, defeated Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka (ranked 102nd) in the final, with a score of 7-5, 7-6(10/8). Sharapova participated in the tournament as a wildcard and did not drop a single set.

Maria Sharapova, who will climb to the top 60 of the WTA ranking on Monday, will try to continue her winning streak in her next tournament, the Moscow Open, for which she has also received an invitation.

The Tianjin Open was played on hard court and offered a prize money of $426,750.

Words from Sharapova

"This is a very special victory for me, one that I will always remember. Sometimes, you don't know when things will finally fall into place, and that's what happened this week," said the Russian player.