Sharapova finds her winning formula on clay in Rome

This time last year, Maria Sharapova was on pins and needles as she awaited the verdict on her French Open wild card hopes. Having missed 15 months due to a drug ban, the 2017 Roland Garros marked the first Grand Slam she could play since her suspension.

Ultimately, tournament organizers decided to forgo a wild card for Sharapova. The intervening year has been up-and-down for the Russian former No. 1. She’s battled nagging injuries and inconsistent results as she tries to re-establish the rhythm and routine she was in before the ban. After over a year back on tour, she's only ranked No. 40.

Over the past few weeks, though Sharapova has found something of a rhythm on clay. After losing her opening round bid at the Stuttgart Open, she made the quarters in Madrid and has looked even more competitive in Rome. In her tough, three-set quarterfinal against Jelena Ostapenko, she displayed the grit-and-grind mentality that produced two French Open titles.

When Roland Garros begins in nine days, she won’t need a wild card for entry. She could enter a Grand Slam tournament as a seeded player for the first time in over two years. For Sharapova, that has to be sweet validation and a significant milestone in a long road ahead, back to the top of the game.