Maria Sharapova given wildcard at 2017 Madrid Open

"Sharapova requested an invitation to play... (She) is one of the best players of the last 15 years and also a past winner of our tournament," event director Manolo Santana told Reuters.

"In Madrid she always plays well and I'm sure she will come back to the courts highly motivated and hoping to do well."

The 29-year-old was banned from competitive tennis after failing a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open. This resulted in the ITF banning the Russian for two years. However, the ban was reduced to 15 months following a CAS appeal.

The tournament is scheduled to start on May 5.