On Wednesday, after 15 long months, Maria Sharapova returned to the court of a WTA tournament. In Stuttgart, the 30-year-old got to set foot on the grounds for the first time on the day of her match.

She hit the practice court ahead of her first match since the 2016 Australian Open. Her presence at the WTA Premier event, which she has won three times, has invited an explosion of attention.

Advertising

Advertising

She stayed focused, putting in a second practice ahead of her centre court night match.

As expected, Sharapova is staying above all the chaos of her highly-anticipated return.

Advertising

She'll take on Roberta Vinci in the first round on Wednesday (at 12:30 p.m. EST on BeIN Sports).