Maria Sharapova set foot on a tennis court for the first time since her positive drug test at the
Australian Open on Monday, smiling throughout an appearance in the World Team Tennis Smash Hits
charity event in Las Vegas.
The Russian star, who last week earned a reduction in her drug
ban that will allow her to return to tennis in April, played in two light-hearted doubles matches in the
event at Caesar’s Palace to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Sharapova lost her
doubles match with American youngster Taylor Johnson when they faced Martina Navratilova and
Liezel Huber.
The 29-year-old indicated had felt a hint of nerves along with her 16-year-old
doubles partner Johnson.
“It was a big occasion for her (Johnson) and also for me,”
Sharapova told ESPN.
“I haven’t been on a court for a while, for both of us, it was to have
some fun and a bit of laughs,” she added.
Sharapova later paired with US legend John
McEnroe in the evening’s final game against Navratilova and Andy Roddick.
Sharapova had
not played since testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.
Her initial
24-month ban was slashed to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last Tuesday, a ruling
which has divided opinion among her peers.