Top 750 WTA players to receive protected ranking for fertility procedures
Tennis players who choose to take time off in order to undergo fertility protection procedures, such as egg or embryo freezing, will be permitted to receive a protected ranking according to new rules announced by the Women's Tennis Association.
Players ranked inside the top 750 on the WTA who undergo fertility procedures will be eligible to receive a Special Entry Ranking (SER) allowing them to enter up to three tournaments. The SER will be calculated using their average ranking during a 12-week period before and during their absence and can be used up to WTA 500 events.
A growing number of players are opting to take time away from the sport in order to give birth or actively plan their families during their careers. At the urging of the players, over the past few years the WTA has taken significant steps towards addressing these issues, helping to provide players with options to plan their families while competing at the highest level.
Earlier this year, the organisation announced that it would offer players paid maternity leave. Those who take time away from the tour to give birth are also able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over three years from the birth of their child.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, has twice used the short tennis off-season to freeze her eggs. 'During my first retrieval cycle, I ended up gaining around 20lbs due to hormones and taking a break from training that, going forward, I would be more aware of and plan differently for my next cycle this off-season,' the American told Essence last year.
'It is also important to rest and not over-exert yourself, at the risk of developing ovarian torsion or other complications, so I had to really plan out my training blocks and off-season to make it all happen. Because of this, I am really passionate about introducing protected rankings for players undergoing fertility treatments so that they can feel supported in making decisions for themselves and properly caring for their bodies without rushing back out of fear of ranking points or career setbacks. '
In a statement on Wednesday, Stephens hailed the WTA's new ruling: 'I'm incredibly proud of our sport in recognising the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes. For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex. The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves. It's truly groundbreaking and will empower this generation, and future generations of players, to continue with the sport they love without having to compromise.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Pulisic says questions about his commitment to national team 'way out of line'
June 13 (Reuters) - United States winger Christian Pulisic has defended his decision to skip the CONCACAF Gold Cup and said those questioning his commitment to the national team were "way out of line". Pulisic, who played 50 games for AC Milan in the recently-concluded season, said taking time to rest and recover was the right call for him and the team with the World Cup coming to the U.S., Mexico and Canada next year. Yunus Musah and Antonee Robinson are also skipping the June 14 to July 6 Gold Cup despite not being injured, according to USA Today. Former U.S. stalwarts Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas were among those criticising players who decided to skip the tournament and their comments did not sit well with Pulisic. "When it comes to those guys, it is tough because I looked up to those guys growing up, some of these guys were my idols, and I respect them so much as players," the 26-year-old told CBS Sports podcast on Thursday. "It's tough especially when some of them privately, the way they talk to me and clearly want to show support and be a friend and then they say something different publicly. "Of all things, you can talk about my performances, but to question my commitment to the national team, in my opinion that's way out of line." The U.S. suffered a fourth straight defeat on Tuesday when they lost 4-0 at home against Switzerland in a friendly.
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Michael Johnson explains why he cancelled Grand Slam Track meet in LA
Michael Johnson has spoken out after cancelling the Los Angeles leg of his new Grand Slam Track competition, describing the drastic move as a 'business decision' to preserve the future of the league. Johnson held a meeting over Zoom on Thursday to inform athletes and their representatives that the LA event – the fourth and final leg of the season scheduled for 28-29 June – had been pulled, bringing the campaign to a sudden end. The Independent understands that Grand Slam Track's deal with host UCLA had become financially unviable, with estimated losses of more than $2m had the event gone ahead. A new sponsor is set to be announced next week ahead of the 2026 season, and organisers felt avoiding losses was crucial to help secure that investment and ensure the long-term future of the competition. The US legend said in a statement: 'The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season, and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond. 'We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far, delivering amazing races to a rabid fan base. As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league. The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world's premier track league. Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition that we have become known for in our debut year.' Organisers remain confident that Grand Slam Track will continue in 2026, with LA set to be on the circuit, and have stressed the positives of what they insist has been a relatively successful 'pilot' year. Before the opening event in Kingston, Jamaica, Johnson's co-founder Steve Gera told The Independent that they were 'maniacally focused on having the youngest fanbase of any sports league in the world in the next five years'. The star-studded list of athletes – which included US stars Kenny Bednarek, Gabrielle Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as well as British names including Josh Kerr and Dina Asher-Smith – competed in two linked events, such as 100m and 200m sprints, with results combined to calculate the winners in each category. Prize money for winners stood at $100,000, with $50,000 for runners-up and $10,000 for eighth place. The competition was billed as a much-needed shot in the arm for athletics, although the decision to include only track events and omit field disciplines was met with criticism. 'I am going to save what I think I can save,' Johnson explained. 'I think I can save track, I don't think I can save track and field.' But ticket sales have been slow and sponsorship and broadcast revenues have not met lofty expectations. The Times reports that organisers will save around £2.2m in prize money and travel expenses by cancelling the Los Angeles event. Some of the action has played out in half-empty stadiums, although the third event in Philadelphia was more popular, with close to 30,000 tickets sold over two days after the action was compressed from the three days of events held in Kingston and Miami. A disappointing crowd in Jamaica prompted organisers to review their locations for 2026, with a variety of other markets being considered, including European cities. Gera told The Independent in March: 'We had discussions with a couple of different cities across the UK [but] that was a decision that we made to just focus on tightly packaging our run of shows [in the Americas] in year one. But we're really excited to get the product into Europe in the not too distant future.' Johnson added: 'We are in conversations with potential host cities - many of whom have already thrown their names in the hat - to build out an exciting calendar of events for our fans across the globe. We are committed to calling Los Angeles home, and look forward to hosting a Slam in LA as part of the 2026 season.'
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How to tell if they are REALLY gaslighting you or are YOU the one with the problem?: DR ISABELLE MORLEY
Back in 2021, I realized many of my clients and friends were wrongly diagnosing their exes as sociopaths. Since then, as therapy has become not only widely accepted, but also a badge of honor to say you're 'doing the work', it seems everyone is now a clinical expert.
