Maria Sharapova returns to WTA rankings

Maria Sharapova has climbed back into the WTA rankings after reaching the semi-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last week.

The tournament was Sharapova's first taste of competitive action since the 2016 Australian Open, after which she was handed a 15-month ban following a positive test for meldonium.

The 30-year-old cruised into the semi-finals without dropping a set in Stuttgart, but was beaten in three sets by Kristina Mladenovic on Saturday.

Sharapova has re-entered the WTA rankings at number 262 as a result of her performance, the first time she has been included since October last year.

The Russian's return to the sport has proved to be controversial, with a number of her fellow competitors claiming that she should not have been awarded a wildcard for the tournament.

Sharapova has also been offered a wildcard for the upcoming Madrid and Italian Opens and could be handed that route into the French Open later this month.