Why tennis players undergoing fertility treatment will have their world ranking protected

Independent

a day ago

Female tennis players over time have expressed great difficulty balancing family ambitions with aspirations for career greatness.
However, a new empowering rule introduced by the WTA will help to dispel this conundrum from these players' minds, encouraging them to start a family at a time that suits them.
Female tennis players who undergo fertility treatment will no longer feel pressured to rush back to the court after the WTA 's groundbreaking promise to protect their world rankings.
Any of the world's top 750 players who wish to freeze their eggs or embryos will now be given a 'special ranking' to provide additional peace of mind when planning to start a family.
Players often use the off-season to receive fertility treatment, or are forced to weigh up the dilemma of peak fertility conflicting with top sporting displays.
This new rule will not only protect the health of these sporting stars, but ease the pressure to return to competitions if not full recovered or at peak physicality.
Here's everything you need to know:
Who is eligible?
The option can be taken up by any female player who is ranked within the top 750 if the time they spend outside of competition surpasses 10 weeks.
More than 320 players are also eligible for up to 12 months of paid maternity leave, which was introduced by the WTA for the first time earlier this year. All players will receive the same level of statutory maternity pay, regardless of where they rank.
What is the 'special ranking'?
The special entry ranking will allow any eligible player undergoing treatment to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return.
The SER is calculated by a player's 12 week average, spanning before and during their out-of-competition period.
However, players will be prohibited from using this ranking to enter any of the WTA premier 1000 events. These include the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open.
Who set this rule up?
This initiative was 'very much at the instigation of the players', according to WTA chief executive and Player's Council member, Portia Archer.
Player reactions
"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." - Maddison Keys, 2025 Australian Open champion
"Someone might be out for three months, someone might be out for one week. Some people gain a tonne of weight, some people can go back immediately. I think when you are family planning, it's better if you have that support." - Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open champion