The Baseline Player of the Week: Maria Sharapova

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

Maria Sharapova is a title holder once again. Since coming back from her 15-month ban, the 30-year-old has had her ups and downs, and had not claimed a championship since 2015. She proved she still has it at the Tianjin Open on Sunday against Aryna Sabalenka.

It was an incredible comeback as she was on the ropes in both sets, down 4-1 and 5-1, respectively. She managed to fight her way back from those deficits and win the title, 7-5, 7-6 (8).

Sharapova came into the tournament as a wild card and did not drop a set the entire week. Her ranking is up to No. 57 as she heads next to Moscow.