The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced a groundbreaking initiative to support female tennis players who wish to start a family. Players who undergo fertility treatment, including egg freezing, will be eligible for ranking protection, allowing them to take time off the court without jeopardizing their careers. This new rule is open to any player ranked in the world’s top 750 who spends more than 10 weeks out of competition.
The protected ranking will be calculated based on the player’s average ranking over a 12-week period before and during their leave. Players will be able to use this ranking to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return, providing them with a smoother transition back to the tour. However, they will not be able to use this ranking to enter premier 1000 events, encouraging players to plan their fertility treatment during quieter periods of the season.
This initiative was player-led, with Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, being a strong advocate for the measure during her time on the WTA Players’ Council. Stephens, who has undergone egg freezing twice, emphasized the importance of having support and flexibility when making family planning decisions. “It’s all trial and error, everyone’s body is different,” she said. “I think when you are family planning, it’s better if you have that support.”
The WTA’s chief executive, Portia Archer, confirmed that the move was instigated by the players, highlighting the tour’s commitment to helping players balance their athletic careers with personal life. “We want to really help players address this conundrum where peak athletic performance coincides with the time period of peak fertility, so players are often faced with this tough choice of how to really maximise and optimise those years.”
This initiative builds on the WTA’s existing support for pregnant and new mothers. Earlier this year, the tour introduced paid maternity leave for the first time, with up to 12 months of paid leave available to eligible players. New mothers are also able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period from the birth of their child. The WTA also offers access to a health team, providing physical assessments, mental health support, and guidance on a staged return to play for new mothers and pregnant players.
Other sports have also introduced support measures for female athletes. The American basketball league, the WNBA, offers up to $60,000 reimbursement to players for fertility treatment, including egg freezing. High-profile athletes, such as England cricket captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former England netballer Geva Mentor, have spoken publicly about their decision to freeze their eggs.
The WTA’s new initiative has been welcomed by players, including Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who praised the tour for providing additional peace of mind for players planning to start families. “It is absolutely amazing what the WTA is doing,” she said. “Being able to have the security to take care of that, have that peace of mind and know we can come back to the tour without working our way up the rankings is such a gift.”
German player Tatjana Maria, who has two children and returned to the tour after both pregnancies, also welcomed the action by the WTA but highlighted that there are still opportunities to improve support for mothers on tour. “Even now having two kids on tour, there are still issues,” she said. “The WTA could change a little bit, whether it is [related to] hotel rooms or accreditation to make life easier.”
Source: BBC News
