Maria Sharapova, a villain to some, is back in black and in winning ways at the US Open

Maria Sharapova entered the court on Monday dressed all in black, the colour worn by villains in old Western movies. It might have been a sponsor’s suggestion or her take on standard evening attire for a night out in New York, but the dark tone seemed appropriate given the circumstances.

Because of her ban and some injuries Sharapova had played only one hard-court match this year before she faced world number two Simona Halep of Romania under the lights and amid the breezes that drifted in through Arthur Ashe Stadium’s open roof. She hadn’t played a grand slam match since the 2016 Australian Open and hadn’t played at the US Open since 2014. But none of that mattered when she completed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 upset of Halep, falling to her knees in joy and blowing kisses to a crowd that was more dazzled by her grit than the sparkling crystals on her dress and jacket.

“It almost seemed like I had no right to win the match today,” said Sharapova, who is 7-0 in career meetings with Halep and has a 23-match winning streak in the first round of grand slam tournaments. “But somehow, I did.”

Sharapova, ranked 146th in the world, won with grace and patience and an appreciation for the occasion, the big moments she missed so much during her ban and while she dealt with injuries. “It’s prime time, baby. I love it,” she said, but she couldn’t be sure she’d be in one of the sport’s biggest spotlights again, especially when she struggled through some pre-Open practices. She had last played a match in early August, following some World Team Tennis action with the Orange County Breakers, and she wondered about her timing and match-readiness.

“It all just comes down to the fact that I haven’t spent much time on the court,” she said, mentioning an MRI exam she underwent to determine the nature of a thigh injury that prevented her from playing qualifying rounds before Wimbledon. “Looking back at that to where I am today, it’s pretty amazing I was able to provide this kind of tennis.”