WTA Tour introduces women's tennis ranking protection for fertility treatment
Women's tennis stars will have their world rankings protected during fertility treatments, the WTA Tour has announced.
Players ranked inside the world's top 750 who miss at least 10 weeks of competitive tennis will be eligible to receive a Special Entry Ranking, the same designation that the women's tennis governing body uses for players returning from long-term injury or pregnancy.
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They will be able to use the ranking for up to three events in the first 10 weeks of their return to the court, but the ranking cannot be used to enter WTA 1,000 events — the 10 tournaments one rung below the Grand Slams, named for the ranking points awarded to the winner.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion who called for the measure last year after undergoing egg freezing, said that 'the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex,' and praised the WTA for creating a 'safe space' to consider fertility protection without the risk of relinquishing ranking security.
Stephens, in a 2024 interview with the BBC, said that egg freezing is 'a very involved process and I don't think people understand that.' The time needed away from the tennis court varies from player to player, meaning that some women can return to competitive tennis quickly while others need longer.
The measure adds to the WTA Tour's March announcement of a maternity pay program, funded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. That provides 12 months of paid leave, as well as grants for fertility treatments. Players previously had to assume the financial burden of taking an extended break from tennis.
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