Caroline Wozniacki calls Maria Sharapova's wild card return 'disrespectful'

Maria Sharapova.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki says the timing of drug cheat Maria Sharapova's return to tennis is 'disrespectful'.

Sharapova will make her return at April's Porsche Grand Prix after being given a wildcard to the event, despite the fact the tournament begins before the Russian's 15-month drug suspension ends.

The Stuttgart event starts two days before Sharapova's ban, for testing positive for meldonium, ends but she's still able to play in the tournament. Sharapova won't be able to attend the event until the day of her first match.

"I think it's very questionable allowing - no matter who it is - a player that is still banned to play a tournament that week," Wozniacki said today, following her match at the BNP Paribas Open.

"From the tournament side, it's disrespectful to the other players and the WTA."

Sharapova has also been given wildcards for May's tournaments in Madrid and Rome and is expected to get a wildcard to the French Open.

"I think everyone deserves a second chance... but at the same time, I feel like when a player is banned for drugs, I think that someone should start from the bottom and fight their way back," world number 14 Wozniacki said.

"Obviously rules are twisted and turned in favour of who wants to do what."