Andy Murray: LTA shouldn't give Maria Sharapova wild cards

Andy Murray disagrees with the LTA's apparent decision to give Maria Sharapova wild cards into the British grass-court events, but says tournaments want the publicity. He also believes that a wider discussion is required about the rules.

According to London’s The Times, Sharapova is likely to be offered a wild card into Birmingham.

Murray was the first player to publicly criticize Sharapova for testing positive for meldonium, and has also opposed giving her wild cards into events as she returns.

"I do think the tournaments are going to do what they think is going to sell the most tickets, give them the most coverage, get the most people into watch," he told *BBC* following his second-round win in Madrid.

Murray said the LTA is doing the same thing, but that the decision likely wasn’t made easily.

"They've obviously done what they think is right for that event, and maybe haven't thought as much about the wider implications of it," he said. "I'm sure the LTA saw the coverage that was given to [the Bouchard-Sharapova] match and was given to Maria's run in Stuttgart ... The amount of media that were there covering it, and think that's what's best for the tournament in Birmingham.

"But I'm sure it split a lot of opinion."

Murray, speaking to British reporters, also said he had repeatedly expressed his position and still was "standing here having to discuss wild cards for Sharapova for like the 10th time."

The world No. 1 suggested there should be a general discussion about the rules on giving wild cards to players returning from anti-doping suspensions—not just about Sharapova.

"It has been a very divisive subject,” he said. “Some people think it’s absolutely fine, some people think that it isn’t—that she shouldn’t be getting any wild cards at all. It has divided a lot of opinion."