Sharapova to return at site of success and sponsorship

It couldn't be more fitting that Maria Sharapova will return to the game in Stuttgart on April 26. Sharapova has won the title on the indoor red clay courts three times in a row (losing just once there to Angelique Kerber in 2015).

Last year at the Australian Open, the Russian tested positive for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list at the end of 2015. She was initially sentenced to a two-year suspension, but it was later reduced to 15 months.

The five-time Grand Slam champion is set to make her return on the exact day that she is eligible to play again, on the surface she has had a lot of late-career success on (Sharapova has won 11 clay-court titles, including two French Open titles). Her last WTA title was on red clay in Rome in 2015.

At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, the 29-year-old will appear in the draw thanks to a wildcard and will be bolstered by her 13-1 record. She has won all three finals she's played there (over Victoria Azarenka in 2012, Li Na in 2013 and Ana Ivanovic in 2014).

Moreover, Sharapova is a spokesperson and brand ambassador for Porsche—the lead sponsor for the tournament.

After news broke of her failed drug test last March, her deal with Porsche was initially on the rocks, but she has since strongly reaffirmed her positive position with the brand.