ANDY MURRAY hit out at tennis tournaments giving drugs cheat Maria Sharapova an easy ride yesterday.

The five-time grand slam winner is being welcomed back with open arms when her 15-month doping ban runs out next month, with guaranteed wildcard entries in Stuttgart — her first match taking place the very day her ban runs out — and Madrid, while Rome announced she’d been handed a wildcard yesterday.

But Murray told The Times newspaper that tennis needs to take a stronger line on doping. “I think you should really have to work your way back,” he said.

But the world number one has not been surprised to see Sharapova invited to play, as one of the sport’s biggest stars.

He said: “The majority of tournaments are going to do what they think is best for their event. If they think having big names there is going to sell more seats, then they’re going to do that.”

Wimbledon is under pressure not to allow Sharapova to compete if she hasn’t recovered her world ranking in time.