Sharapova presence felt in London via controversial art

Maria Sharapova went nowhere near the All England Club during this Wimbledon, but still her presence–or her recent legal-ethical situation—was felt in London all the same. A niche street piece by the artist Fussy Human appeared during the Championships, tying Sharapova's meldonium-fueled ouster from the game for 15 months to a piece of classic tennis photography.

The art sends up the iconic 1970s "Tennis Girl" poster, prominently featuring a racquet-wielding woman's posterior. Fussy Human's flip of that visual script shows a player, surely intended to represent Sharapova, sticking a syringe into her flank. Two depictions of vertical syringes appear in place of the letter "I" in the all-caps text accompanying the stenciled image.

Chalk this up to an opportunistic way to make headlines (including this one), but consider this also: As with Serena Williams' recent brouhaha in a few Los Angeles grocery stores, this statement piece won't elicit one of Sharapova's backhand replies. I mean, do these look like the stance of someone troubled by much these days?

Answer: Nyet.

These ladies don't have time to sweat the small stuff. For one, there's the stage of US Open lead-up tournaments culminating in the season's final major. For the other, there's literally a little life on the line. Those will be their emphatic statements.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.