Maria Sharapova set for Birmingham appearance in Aegon Classic

The region’s premier tennis tournament will be the first back on grass for the former Wimbledon champion, who returned from a 15-month doping ban at the end of April.

She will join the likes of reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, ex Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska and British No.1 Johanna Konta on the grass courts of the Edgbaston Priory Club from June 17-25.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam winner, was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

It was reduced to 15 months and, in October, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Sharapova was not an ‘intentional doper’.

The handing of wildcards to Sharapova on her return has caused much controversy, with former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard among the most outspoken, labelling the Russian ‘a cheater’.

Brit Heather Watson – who would also require one of the four wildcard places to compete at the Aegon Classic after watching her ranking tumble to 108 – said: “You should have to work your way back up if you’ve been on a ban.” She added: “It just seems a bit easy.”

However, outgoing Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) chief executive Michael Downey will rubber-stamp

An LTA spokesman said: “We are in the process of deciding which players will receive wildcards for our summer season grass-court tournaments. It’s a carefully considered process which happens at every time this year.”

Any decision on a Wimbledon wildcard would not be until June 20.