Sharapova to make injury return with China wildcard entry

The five-time grand slam champion has been suffering with a leg injury and was forced to skip the U.S., Open.

I’m looking forward to getting back onto the match court in Wuhan,’’ said the WTA number three in a statement. “I’ve been working hard to get myself ready to compete again, and I can’t wait to get back out there.

I really enjoyed my visit to Wuhan last year.’’

The field at the event held in the home city of former player Li Na will feature 18 of the world’s top 19 players, according to the preliminary entry.

Sharapova fell from second to third in the rankings behind Serena Williams and Simona Halep due to her injury-related summer inactivity.

Sharapova won the Beijing title a year ago.