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Cape Town - Former tennis star Greg Rusedski believes Maria Sharapova will receive many more wildcard entries to tournaments.
The Russian superstar is set to come off her 15 month doping ban and play at WTA Stuttgart later this month after the event gave her a wildcard entry.
Since, Sharapova has been handed two more wildcards for the Madrid and Italian Opens.
Rusedski understands that these events want to sell tickets, but adds that from a players' point of view, Sharapova should not get red carpet treatment.
"I can see both sides of it," the former world number four is quoted as saying on EuroSport website.
"Promoters and tournaments want a big name in their event. They want Sharapova because she draws a big crowd no matter where she plays.
"But from a players' perspective, they're probably like 'earn your stripes back'. She's been banned and they probably think she should have to build her way back in.
"But there's no rules that say she has to do that so she's doing everything she has to abide by. At the end of the day - tennis is entertainment.
"If she's the one that's going to sell the most tickets what are you going to do if you run an event? You're going to put her in."
Sharapova will play at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Wednesday, April 26.
