Maria Sharapova got to hold up the championship trophy for  the first time since winning the 2015 Rome Open. She defeated Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 7-6 (8) in the Tianjin final, and her immediate celebration was joy.

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The Russian cruised through 10 straight sets for only the fifth time in her career and moves up to No. 57 in the WTA rankings. It was the first time since Brisbane in 2015 that she and Roger Federer won titles on the same weekend.

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The former world No. 1 and five-time major winner reflected on the journey in winning this tournament, her first since coming back from her 15-month ban in April.

"When you start all the way from the beginning of the tournament, and it was so cold and not as many spectators, and then you end up playing the final in a full stadium with so much enthusiasm and energy and you are the one that wins the last point, just everything falls into place," Sharapova said. "You have to appreciate those moments, never take them for granted."

Maybe the remote tournament served her best, because she seemed more at ease mixing with fans, both old and young.

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It’s another step forward for the Russia, who marveled in the championship feeling. Back in April, she was just delighted to compete again, but now she’s able to have her cake and eat it too.