Career and family planning can present women with difficult decisions. In women’s tennis, players are now to receive further support.
Women’s tennis wants to continue helping professional players with family planning. Female tennis players who take a break for fertility treatment such as egg or embryo freezing will now benefit from a new WTA rule. Upon their return to competitive tennis, players will be able to revert to their frozen ranking position (protected ranking) for up to three tournaments.
The balance between family life and career is complex for every woman, said 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens in a statement from the professional organization WTA. The WTA has now created an opportunity for players to explore options and make the best decisions for themselves.
In March, the WTA announced a new rule for paid maternity leave of up to one year to provide financial support to players during and after pregnancy. A protected ranking rule also applies to pregnant players. Access to fertility programs will also be provided.