Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene as a supremely gifted teenager and won five Grand Slams before serving a drugs ban, but at age 32 a persistent injury has now thrown her turbulent career into grave doubt.
The Russian former world number one's ranking is set to dive below 350 after Tuesday's first-round defeat at the Australian Open.
There have been suggestions that Sharapova could soon retire and she did little to dispel that notion following the straight-sets loss to the 19th seed Donna Vekic.
Asked by AFP if she will be back in Melbourne again, she replied: "I don't know, I don't know.
"It's tough for me to tell what's going to happen in 12 months' time."
- 'I don't have a crystal ball' -
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