Andrey Kartashov. President of the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) Shamil Tarpishchev confirmed to TASS on Monday earlier media reports that Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova decided to close the season and pull out of earlier scheduled tournaments.

New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg announced on his Twitter account earlier in the day that "Sharapova is shutting down her 2018 season, withdrawing from Beijing, Tianjin, and Moscow to rest and recuperate." The journalist added that Sharapova planned "to return at WTA Shenzhen to start the 2019 season, per her team."

Asked by a TASS correspondent whether this information was true, RTF President Tarpishchev said "it was a 50 by 50 situation regarding Sharapova, but after consulting with doctors she decided to close the season ahead of time and to concentrate on her health."

"She made the decision to start the next season in her optimal physical condition," Tarpishchev said. "However, it is still possible that she would simply come to Moscow [for the Kremlin Cup] as she had planned to do, but in the capacity of an honorary guest."

Two weeks ago, Sharapova was knocked out from the 2018 US Open Grand Slam Tournament after a straight sets defeat inflicted by Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro (6-4, 6-3). Her next scheduled tournament was expected to be the 2018 VTB Kremlin Cup in the Russian capital of Moscow on October 11-21.

Sharapova is Russia’s most decorated tennis player having won a total of five Grand Slam tournaments, namely the Australian Open in 2008, the French Open in 2012 and 2014, Wimbledon in 2004 and the US Open in 2006. She also clinched the silver in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and was the 2008 Federations Cup champion.

After the 15-month long suspension, imposed in 2016 for violating anti-doping regulations, Sharapova made her comeback to tennis in April 2017.

Last October, Sharapova won the 2017 WTA Tianjin Open in China and it was her first tournament to win since May 2015. She is currently ranked 24th in the WTA Rankings List.