Maria Sharapova retired from tennis by 2000.
The 2016 Australian Open was a tennis tournament that took place at Melbourne Park between 18 -- 31 January 2016 . Maria Sharapova . She returned to the WTA tour on April 26 , 2017 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix . The Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King , is the principal organizing body of women 's professional tennis .