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Rival player's brutal put-down for Sharapova

Maria Sharapova isn't exactly on good terms with the majority of her peers, and Garbine Muguruza has seemingly piled on the criticism.

The Spaniard was asked recently what she thought of Sharapova's return from a 15-month doping ban, and Muguruza was blunt in her assessment.

"Players are not interested in it," Muguruza said.

"Personally I don't even remember Sharapova.

Muguruza and Sharapova in 2013. Image: Getty

"Yes, for the tournaments it is a good news because the media's attention will be on her, but again, we are not interested in it too much."

Muguruza. Image: Getty

Canada's Eugenie Bouchard remains one of Sharapova's fiercest critics and maintains the Russian "cheater" should have been banned for life and not welcomed back to tennis so enthusiastically.

The pair met in a feisty second round encounter in Madrid earlier this month with the 23-year-old emerging a 7-5 2-6 6-4 winner.

Here is what the game's top names have had to say about the issue:

Caroline Wozniacki - "I think it's very questionable, allowing, no matter who it is, a player that is still banned to play a tournament that week. From the tournament side, it's disrespectful to the other players and the WTA. But it is what it is. Obviously rules are twisted and turned in favour of who wants to do what."

Agnieszka Radwanska - "This kind of entry into the tournament should apply to players who dropped in the ranking because of injury, illness or some other random event. Not for those suspended for doping. Maria should recover some other way, starting with smaller events."

Angelique Kerber - "It's a German tournament, and we (have) so many good German players, so this is also a little bit strange. It's also strange for the players, that she can walk on site on Wednesday and she can play on Wednesday."

Andy Murray - "I think you should really have to work your way back.The majority of tournaments are going to do what they think is best for their event. If they think having big names there is going to sell more seats, then they're going to do that."

Dominika Cibulkova - "It's not about her, but everyone who was doping should start from zero."

Victoria Azarenka - "I think it's good for tennis. She has such a huge fanbase and obviously that's going to bring more attraction to see how she will do, so I think it's good for tennis, good entertainment."

Novak Djokovic - "From my opinion, I see that there was no intention in doing that (doping), because the rules changed, but it was an error and mistake that she and her team in a way had to take the consequences and pay for and the suspension is there rightly so."