The word’s finally out and this time formally! Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has declared on her website that she is pulling out from the August Beijing Olympics due to a shoulder injury. The World number three informed on her website www.mariasharapova.com that an MRI scan has revealed two tiny tears on her right shoulder.   

‘I am currently packing up really quick to hop on the plane and head to New York for a second opinion but I wanted to let all of you know first that there's no chance of me competing in Beijing,’ a disheartened Sharapova writes. She has also added the timing is really regrettable and that it makes her really sad.

Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Montreal Cup recently due to this shoulder injury, but after trouncing Marta Domachowska of Poland with a 7-5 5-7 6-2 score. It was from thereon that speculations sparked off as to whether or not the Russian tennis ace would participate in the Beijing Olympics which will be held from August 8 to August 24.