The tennis star defeated Simona Halep in three sets on Monday night.
Maria Sharapova is back!
The 30-year-old Russian tennis star made her return to the Grand Slam circuit on Monday night, and she made it count, defeating No. 2 seed Simona Halep in three sets to advance to the second round of the U.S. Open.
Sharapova, who served a 15-month suspension after testing positive for banned substance meldonium at last year’s Australian Open, was emotional after the win, falling to her knees on the court as the crowd gave her a standing ovation and tearing up as she waved to fans after the match.
Prior to the match, Sharapova seemed less than confident about her Grand Slam return, after battling injuries and missing out on a wild card spot at the French Open earlier this year.
“I haven’t had the best preparation, if we’re really being honest. After healing for many weeks and skipping Wimbledon, and now to skip the warm-up tournaments, is disappointing,” she told the U.S. Open’s website. “I’m coming in with no matches. But I have had the experience of that position before. I have to bring that back.”
See more on the tennis star and her daring famous friend, Chelsea Handler, in the video below.