MARIA SHARAPOVA started the new year with a sportsmanship moment at the Shenzhen Open yesterday.

The Russian star came to the aid of 17-year-old Wang Xinyu after the teenager was forced to endure a heartbreaking retirement in the second set of her match against the five-time major champion.

It was still a stunning display from the 17-year-old wildcard. She matched Sharapova’s power in a tight first set and despite the fact that she failed to convert four set points in the 10th game, still took it in the tiebreaker.

But Wang, who won two Junior Slam titles in doubles in 2018, suffered in the second set after taking a 2-0 lead and would soon be forced to forfeit a pair of games just to get immediate medical attention from staff at a changeover.

As soon as it became apparent that Wang could not continue, Sharapova went over to comfort the wildcard, chatting at length and saying “you played unbelievable.”

Sharapova stayed with Wang until the moment she was able to pick herself off her chair and exited the court under her own power.

The Russian will move on to face either Aryna Sabalenka or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open. (SD-Agencies)