Latest news with #PortiaArcher
CNA
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
WTA chairman Simon to retire in December
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chairman Steve Simon will step down from his role in December after 10 years with the organisation, the governing body of women's tennis said on Thursday. Simon joined the WTA in 2015 as chief executive and was replaced in that role by Portia Archer in July. "Since day one, I have worked to deliver positive change and growth for women's tennis... and to promote dialogue and collaboration between players, tournaments and partners across the game," Simon said in a WTA statement. "I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to watching the continued rise of women's tennis in years to come." Simon had come under fire from players over the decision to hold the 2023 WTA Finals outdoors in the Mexican resort of Cancun. They were later moved to Saudi Arabia in another decision that was widely criticised.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Why WTA's maternity and fertility initiative is historic
For years, top-level woman athletes have faced the conundrum of choosing between sustained sporting excellence and the joy of parenthood. In a move hailed as transformative, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced in March a new maternity policy that includes grants for initiatives such as egg-freezing and IVF (in-vitro fertilisation). With the WTA leading the way, other sports are also beginning to rethink how they can support their woman athletes through every phase of their lives. What is the policy? The WTA has launched a maternity and fertility initiative in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The programme provides up to 12 months of paid maternity leave and financial support for fertility treatments, including egg-freezing and IVF. Over 320 players are eligible for assistance. 'This is really a groundbreaking initiative that hasn't been done in professional sports for independent contractors,' WTA CEO Portia Archer said. What are players saying? Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion and WTA Players' Council member, emphasised the significance of the new policy. 'The feedback from players has actually been incredible. And it is incredibly motivating that we can make a difference. It's also important to point out that this was a player-led programme and we really pushed very hard to make it happen,' the Belarusian said. Athletes in other sports have also endorsed fertility preservation. WNBA legend Sue Bird has shared her perspective based on personal experience. 'Freezing your eggs is the obvious choice for any female who has a career. It's important to have the option,' she opined. Physical, logistical challenges Egg-freezing is a physically demanding process. It involves hormone injections, frequent monitoring and surgery for egg-retrieval. For tennis players, this can clash with training and competition. 'So much time and planning has to go into freezing your eggs,' said Sloane Stephens. 'You have to do it the first week of your off-season if you don't want it to affect your game. These logistics are a barrier for people.' Is there ranking protection? While the WTA currently provides protected rankings for players returning from maternity leave, it does not yet extend that to players undergoing fertility preservation. 'It's important that egg-freezing, and even IVF, be added to the protected ranking list,' Stephens said. 'That way your ranking doesn't drop and you can still enter tournaments when you're properly healed and ready to return.' Mothers on tour Recent years have seen several players returning to elite competition after becoming mothers. Elina Svitolina, who won a WTA title in Rouen in 2024 after giving birth, spoke about the journey. 'Being a mother is a journey of love, sacrifice and unconditional devotion,' she said. Her return, and those of Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and several others, shows that motherhood and professional tennis need not be mutually exclusive. How does tennis compare to other sports? Other professional sports have taken steps, but tennis stands out for offering a tour-wide, consistent policy. By contrast, benefits in team sports are often dependent on individual contracts or clubs. In the WNBA, the 2020 collective bargaining agreement includes reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, and fertility treatments. In the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), clubs such as Racing Louisville and Gotham FC have partnered with fertility clinics to offer subsidised egg-freezing and embryo storage. What does this mean for the future of women's tennis? The WTA policy not only helps preserve players' fertility but also normalises conversations around family planning. With top athletes now leading by example, this could inspire wider change across sport. 'This type of programme will open a bigger door for many women to feel secure in their careers and not have to choose between being a mother and being an athlete,' Azarenka said. Cultural shift Beyond the policies, what's changing is the culture. Players now speak openly about fertility, not just as a private matter but as part of career planning. Maria Sharapova, now retired, has become an advocate and investor in fertility-focused start-ups. 'When women have the opportunity to navigate their careers on their own terms by freezing their eggs, they unlock more autonomy in all aspects of their lives,' she has said.
Al Arabiya
07-03-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia's PIF, WTA launch first-ever paid maternity leave program for tennis players
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced the creation of the Maternity Fund Program, marking the first time in women's sports history that female tennis players can receive paid maternity leave. Through the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program, WTA players can receive paid maternity leave for up to 12 months and have access to grants for fertility treatments, as well as other benefits. The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is a groundbreaking initiative that provides the first-ever paid maternity leave for professional tennis players – marking a defining moment in women's sports. — Public Investment Fund (@PIF_en) March 6, 2025 The program is the first and only maternity program in women's sport to be fully funded and supported by an external partner. In a statement released by the PIF, it said that the initiative reflects the WTA and PIF's shared ambition to grow women's professional tennis, inspire more women and girls around the world to take up the game, and help address some of the challenges faced by female athletes. 'It can be challenging to balance the physical and emotional demands of a professional tennis career with the complexities of motherhood and family life… This initiative will provide the current and next generation of players the support and flexibility to explore family life, in whatever form they choose,' Portia Archer, WTA CEO, said in the statement. #PIF Tennis Ambassador Kim Clijsters, four time grand slam champion and former @WTA world no.1, highlights the transformative impact of the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program, under which players will for the first time receive paid maternity benefits. — Public Investment Fund (@PIF_en) March 6, 2025 For her part, Alanoud Althonayan, Head of Events and Sponsorships at PIF, said: 'PIF partnerships are designed to elevate every level of sport and leave a legacy of transformative impact on a global scale… The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program – a first-of-its-kind and the only maternity program in women's sports to be fully funded and supported by an external partner – opens new pathways to motherhood while creating a more inclusive environment where athletes can thrive in both their professional and personal lives.' Since the inception of the PIF and WTA partnership in May 2024, maternity support was identified as a key area for collaboration and a vital initiative by the WTA Players' Council, which represents the interests of players. From March 6, 2025, the program offers benefits to more than 320 eligible WTA players. The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is a pioneering initiative supported by PIF, marking the first time in women's sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes. — Public Investment Fund (@PIF_en) March 6, 2025 The eligibility criteria for participation in the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program includes competing in a certain number of WTA tournaments in a window of time, and receiving a special ranking, one of the existing benefits available through the WTA's Family Focus Program that makes it easier to return to competition after starting a family. The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is part of WTA's comprehensive Family Focus Program developed by the WTA to empower players to combine family life with professional sport. This includes special rankings that protect a player's ranking position during pregnancy and postpartum, allowing them to return to the same level for up to three years after giving birth, or up to two years following another means of parenthood, such as guardianship. Since special rankings after returning from pregnancy were introduced in 2019, 50 players have benefited. Additionally, the WTA offers extensive support to players who are pregnant or new parents through the Hologic WTA Performance Health Team and Women's Health Taskforce, including physical assessments, mental health support and nutritional advice, as well as guidance on a staged return to play.
Iraqi News
07-03-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Saudi PIF to pay ‘up to 12 months maternity leave' for tennis players
Indian Wells – Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is to finance a joint initiative with the WTA for paid maternity leave of 'up to 12 months' for players on the women's tennis circuit, it was announced on Thursday. The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program 'will offer benefits to more than 320 eligible WTA players', the Women's Tennis Association said in a statement. 'WTA players will for the first time receive paid maternity leave up to 12 months, and have access to grants for fertility treatments to build families, as well as other benefits,' it read. Players will have to compete 'in a certain number of WTA tournaments in a window of time' to benefit from the payments. Two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka, a WTA players' council representative, welcomed 'the beginning of a meaningful shift in how we support women in tennis, making it easier for athletes to pursue both their careers and their aspirations of starting a family.' 'Ensuring that programs like this exist has been a personal mission of mine,' the Belarusian former world number one, who gave birth to a son in 2016, was quoted in the statement as saying. For WTA CEO Portia Archer 'this initiative will provide the current and next generation of players the support and flexibility to explore family life, in whatever form they choose.' Several top players have taken a break from their careers to give birth, with varying degrees of impact on their subsequent careers. Belgian Kim Clijsters won three majors — the US Open in 2009 and 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011 — after giving birth to her daughter in 2008, following in the footsteps of Australians Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong, who triumphed at Grand Slams as mothers. However, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams did not win any after the birth of her first child in September 2017, even though the American reached four finals at Wimbledon and the US Open. Four-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one Naomi Osaka of Japan returned to the courts in early 2024 after giving birth to a daughter. Since then, the 27-year-old's best result has been a final at the modest Auckland tournament in January. Criticised by some tennis figures for its record on women's rights, Saudi Arabia has boosted its tennis investments in recent years, organising the season-ending WTA Finals for the first time in Riyadh last November. That came months after the WTA entered into a multi-year partnership with the PIF sovereign wealth fund, with the kingdom again set to host the WTA Finals in 2025 and 2026.
Dubai Eye
07-03-2025
- Business
- Dubai Eye
WTA announces maternity benefits plan for players
The WTA will offer players up to 12 months of paid maternity leave for the first time, the women's tennis tour said on Thursday, part of a sweeping new family benefits programme sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Under the plan, players will have access to grants for fertility treatment and other benefits. The WTA said it is the first time that maternity benefits are available to self-employed athletes. "It can be challenging to balance the physical and emotional demands of a professional tennis career with the complexities of motherhood and family life," WTA CEO Portia Archer said in a statement. "For some time, we have been exploring how we can increase our support for players to help them become parents at a time of their choice." The WTA first announced its partnership with the PIF last year. More than 320 players are eligible for the benefits, with criteria reliant on competing in a "certain number of WTA tournaments in a window of time." WTA Players' Council Representative Victoria Azarenka, who gave birth in 2016 and missed nine months of competition in 2017 and 2018 due to a custody battle with her son's father, said she expected the programme would have a "lasting impact." "This marks the beginning of a meaningful shift in how we support women in tennis, making it easier for athletes to pursue both their careers and their aspirations of starting a family," the Belarusian twice major winner said in a statement. The announcement comes amid a broader shift in global sport to support working parents, with high-profile athletes - from Olympians to NFL players - calling for more benefits in the area.
