Latest news with #WTAPlayers'Council
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Players to get ranking protection after freezing eggs
Female tennis players who wish to freeze eggs or embryos, so they can start a family at a later date, will have their ranking protected by the WTA Tour. The offer is open to any player ranked in the world's top 750 who spends more than 10 weeks out of competition. Advertisement The 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens says the rule will reduce the pressure on players to return to the court too quickly. The 32-year-old, who has won eight WTA tournaments, told BBC Sport she has twice previously used the off-season to freeze her eggs. "The first time I did it, I rushed back and I was overweight and not happy - and just very stressed out," she said. "The second time I did it I took a totally different approach so I could just be in better shape: I could have the surgery, I could have more time to recover. "So having the protected ranking there, so that players don't feel forced to come back early and risk their health again, is the best thing possible." Advertisement Players who undergo fertility treatment will be able to use their special ranking to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return. The special ranking will be an average of a player's ranking over a 12-week period before and during their leave. Players will not, however, be able to use this ranking to enter one of the WTA's premier 1000 events, as the tour wants to encourage players to undertake the procedure at a quieter time of the season. "It's all trial and error, everyone's body is different," Stephens added. "Someone might be out for three months, someone might be out for one week. Advertisement "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." Stephens says she was a strong advocate for such a measure when a member of the WTA Players' Council, and the tour's chief executive Portia Archer confirms the move was player-led. "It was very much at the instigation of the players," she said. "We want to really help players address this conundrum where peak athletic performance coincides with the time period of peak fertility, so players are often faced with this tough choice of how to really maximise and optimise those years." Advertisement Grants have also recently been made available towards the cost of any fertility treatment, and earlier this year the WTA introduced paid maternity leave for the first time. More than 320 players are now eligible for up to 12 months paid leave - with everyone receiving the same amount, irrespective of their ranking. Returning to the tour after maternity leave started to become easier when the WTA changed the rules before the 2019 season. New mothers are able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period from the birth of their child. The WTA also offers access to a health team, which offers physical assessments, mental health support and guidance on a staged return to play for new mothers and pregnant players. Advertisement Tennis is not the first sport to offer support to women wishing to freeze their eggs, with the American basketball league the WNBA offering up to $60,000 (£52,500) reimbursement to players for fertility treatment including egg freezing. High-profile athletes have spoken about their decision to freeze their eggs, including England cricket captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former England netballer Geva Mentor. 'Such a gift' - players react to ranking protection Australian Open champion Madison Keys welcomed the news, saying it will give players planning to start families additional peace of mind. Advertisement "It is absolutely amazing what the WTA is doing," she told BBC Sport. "We have all become really great at keeping our bodies healthy and being able to stay on tour longer and I know for a lot of us family planning is a big part of that. "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." German Tatjana Maria, who is ranked 81st in the world, has two children and returned to the tour after both pregnancies. The 37-year-old welcomed the action by the WTA but says there are "still opportunities to help the WTA players and the mums on tour". Advertisement "Even now having two kids on tour there are still issues," she told BBC Radio 5 live. "The WTA could change a little bit, whether it is [related to] hotel rooms or accreditation to make life easier. "It is helpful to help [as they are doing] but also to help the mums on tour."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Players to get ranking protection after freezing eggs
Female tennis players who wish to freeze eggs or embryos, so they can start a family at a later date, will have their ranking protected by the WTA Tour. The offer is open to any player ranked in the world's top 750 who spends more than 10 weeks out of competition. Advertisement The 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens says the rule will reduce the pressure on players to return to the court too quickly. The 32-year-old, who has won eight WTA tournaments, told BBC Sport she has twice previously used the off-season to freeze her eggs. "The first time I did it, I rushed back and I was overweight and not happy - and just very stressed out," she said. "The second time I did it I took a totally different approach so I could just be in better shape: I could have the surgery, I could have more time to recover. "So having the protected ranking there, so that players don't feel forced to come back early and risk their health again, is the best thing possible." Advertisement Players who undergo fertility treatment will be able to use their special ranking to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return. The special ranking will be an average of a player's ranking over a 12-week period before and during their leave. Players will not, however, be able to use this ranking to enter one of the WTA's premier 1000 events, as the tour wants to encourage players to undertake the procedure at a quieter time of the season. "It's all trial and error, everyone's body is different," Stephens added. "Someone might be out for three months, someone might be out for one week. Advertisement "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." Stephens says she was a strong advocate for such a measure when a member of the WTA Players' Council, and the tour's chief executive Portia Archer confirms the move was player-led. "It was very much at the instigation of the players," she said. "We want to really help players address this conundrum where peak athletic performance coincides with the time period of peak fertility, so players are often faced with this tough choice of how to really maximise and optimise those years." Advertisement Grants have also recently been made available towards the cost of any fertility treatment, and earlier this year the WTA introduced paid maternity leave for the first time. More than 320 players are now eligible for up to 12 months paid leave - with everyone receiving the same amount, irrespective of their ranking. Returning to the tour after maternity leave started to become easier when the WTA changed the rules before the 2019 season. New mothers are able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period from the birth of their child. The WTA also offers access to a health team, which offers physical assessments, mental health support and guidance on a staged return to play for new mothers and pregnant players. Advertisement German Tatjana Maria, who is ranked 81st in the world, has two children and returned to the tour after both pregnancies. The 37-year-old welcomed the action by the WTA but believes more can be done to assist mothers on tour. "I think there is still opportunities to help the WTA players and the mums on tour," she told BBC Radio 5 live. "Even now having two kids on tour there are still issues. The WTA could change a little bit, whether it is [related to] hotel rooms or accreditation to make life easier. "It is helpful to help [as they are doing] but also to help the mums on tour." Advertisement Tennis is not the first sport to offer support to women wishing to freeze their eggs, with the American basketball league the WNBA offering up to $60,000 (£52,500) reimbursement to players for fertility treatment including egg freezing. High-profile athletes have spoken about their decision to freeze their eggs, including England cricket captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former England netballer Geva Mentor.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Funded by Saudi Arabia, women's tennis players to receive maternity pay for 1st time
Pregnant players on the women's tennis tour now can receive 12 months of paid maternity leave, and those who become parents via partner pregnancy, surrogacy or adoption can get two months off with pay, under a program sponsored by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and announced Thursday by the WTA. "Independent contractors and self-employed individuals don't typically have these kinds of maternity benefits provided and available to them. They have to go out and sort of figure out those benefits for themselves," WTA CEO Portia Archer said. "This is really sort of novel and groundbreaking." More than 300 players are eligible for the fund, retroactive to Jan. 1. The WTA would not disclose how much money is involved. The program, which the WTA touted as "the first time in women's sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes," also provides grants for fertility treatments, including egg freezing and IVF. It's part of a wider trend: As women's sports rise, there is an emphasis on meeting maternity and parental needs. How many mothers are on the women's tennis tour now? The WTA says 25 moms are active on tour; one, Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic, won a title last month after returning from maternity leave in October. More and more pros in tennis have returned to action after having children, including past No. 1-ranked players and Grand Slam title winners such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka, a member of the WTA Players' Council which Archer acknowledged played a key role in pushing for this fund, thinks these benefits will encourage lower-ranked or lower-earning athletes to take as much time off as they feel they need after becoming a parent, rather than worrying about losing income while not entering tournaments. 'Great opportunity' "That's certainly one of the aims of the program: to provide the financial resources, the flexibility, the support, so that these athletes, regardless of where they're ranked, but particularly those who earn less, will have that agency ... to decide when and how they want to start their families," Archer said. And, Azarenka said, this could lead some players to decide to become parents before retiring from the sport for good. "Every feedback we've heard from players who are mothers, or who are not mothers, is like, 'Wow, this is an incredible opportunity for us,"' said 2012-13 Australian Open champion Azarenka, whose son, Leo, is 8. "I believe it's really going to change the conversation in sports. But going beyond sports, it's a global conversation, and I'm happy that we're [part of it]." Other steps the WTA has taken in recent years to benefit players include steering more women into coaching, implementing safeguarding, attempting to stem cyberbullying, and increasing prize money with an eye to pay that equals what men receive in the sport. What role does Saudi Arabia have in tennis? The Public Investment Fund, or PIF, became the WTA's global partner last year, after much public debate -- Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were among the critics – over questions about LGBTQ+ and women's rights in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom now hosts the season-ending WTA Finals and an ATP event for rising stars of men's tennis. The PIF sponsors the WTA and ATP rankings. "We wouldn't have been able to provide the benefits were it not for this relationship and the funding that PIF provides," Archer said. What are maternity leave policies in golf, soccer and basketball? In golf, which like tennis is an individual sport without guaranteed salaries, the LPGA introduced an updated maternity leave policy in 2019 that allows athletes have the same playing status when they return. In soccer, both the NWSL and the U.S. women's national team have collective bargaining agreements that allow for pregnancy leave and parental leave; the NWSL pays the full base salary while an athlete is pregnant. In basketball, the WNBA's CBA guarantees full pay during maternity leave. For tennis, Azarenka said, the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is "just the beginning." "It's an incredible beginning. Monumental change," she said. "But I think we can look into how we can expand this fund for bigger, better things."
NBC Sports
06-03-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Women's tennis players now are eligible for paid maternity leave funded by Saudi Arabia's PIF
Pregnant players on the women's tennis tour now can receive 12 months of paid maternity leave, and those who become parents via partner pregnancy, surrogacy or adoption can get two months off with pay, under a program sponsored by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and announced by the WTA. 'Independent contractors and self-employed individuals don't typically have these kinds of maternity benefits provided and available to them. They have to go out and sort of figure out those benefits for themselves,' WTA CEO Portia Archer said. 'This is really sort of novel and groundbreaking.' More than 300 players are eligible for the fund, which is retroactive to Jan. 1. The WTA would not disclose how much money is involved. The program — which the WTA touted as 'the first time in women's sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes' — also provides grants for fertility treatments, including egg freezing and IVF. It's part of a wider trend: As women's sports rise, there is an emphasis on meeting maternity and parental needs. How many mothers are on the women's tennis tour now? The WTA says 25 moms are active on tour; one, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic, won a title after returning from maternity leave in October. More and more pros in tennis have returned to action after having children, including past No. 1-ranked players and Grand Slam title winners such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka — a member of the WTA Players' Council, which Archer acknowledged played a key role in pushing for this fund — thinks these benefits will encourage lower-ranked or lower-earning athletes to take as much time off as they feel they need after becoming a parent, rather than worrying about losing out on income while not entering tournaments. 'That's certainly one of the aims of the program: to provide the financial resources, the flexibility, the support, so that these athletes, regardless of where they're ranked, but particularly those who earn less, will have that agency ... to decide when and how they want to start their families,' Archer said. And, Azarenka said, this could lead some players to decide to become parents before retiring from the sport for good. 'Every feedback we've heard from players who are mothers — or who are not mothers — is like, 'Wow, this is an incredible opportunity for us,'' said 2012-13 Australian Open champion Azarenka, whose son, Leo, is 8. 'I believe it's really going to change the conversation in sports. But going beyond sports, it's a global conversation, and I'm happy that we're (part of it).' Other steps the WTA has taken in recent years to benefit players include steering more women into coaching, implementing safeguarding, attempting to stem cyberbullying, and increasing prize money with an eye to pay that equals what men receive in the sport. What role does Saudi Arabia have in tennis? The Public Investment Fund, or PIF, became the WTA's global partner last year, after much public debate — Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were among the critics — over questions about LGBTQ+ and women's rights in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom now hosts the season-ending WTA Finals and an ATP event for rising stars of men's tennis. The PIF sponsors the WTA and ATP rankings. 'We wouldn't have been able to provide the benefits were it not for this relationship and the funding that PIF provides,' Archer said. What are maternity leave policies in golf, soccer and basketball? In golf, which like tennis is an individual sport without guaranteed salaries, the LPGA introduced an updated maternity leave policy in 2019 that lets athletes have the same playing status when they return. In soccer, both the NWSL and the U.S. women's national team have collective bargaining agreements that allow for pregnancy leave and parental leave; the NWSL pays the full base salary while an athlete is pregnant. In basketball, the WNBA's CBA guarantees full pay during maternity leave. For tennis, Azarenka said, the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is 'just the beginning.' 'It's an incredible beginning. Monumental change,' she said. 'But I think we can look into how we can expand this fund for bigger, better things.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Women's tennis players now are eligible for paid maternity leave funded by Saudi Arabia's PIF
Pregnant players on the women's tennis tour now can receive 12 months of paid maternity leave, and those who become parents via partner pregnancy, surrogacy or adoption can get two months off with pay, under a program sponsored by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and announced Thursday by the WTA. 'Independent contractors and self-employed individuals don't typically have these kinds of maternity benefits provided and available to them. They have to go out and sort of figure out those benefits for themselves,' WTA CEO Portia Archer said. 'This is really sort of novel and groundbreaking.' More than 300 players are eligible for the fund, which is retroactive to Jan. 1. The WTA would not disclose how much money is involved. The program — which the WTA touted as 'the first time in women's sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes' — also provides grants for fertility treatments, including egg freezing and IVF. It's part of a wider trend: As women's sports rise, there is an emphasis on meeting maternity and parental needs. How many mothers are on the women's tennis tour now? The WTA says 25 moms are active on tour; one, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic, won a title last month after returning from maternity leave in October. More and more pros in tennis have returned to action after having children, including past No. 1-ranked players and Grand Slam title winners such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka — a member of the WTA Players' Council, which Archer acknowledged played a key role in pushing for this fund — thinks these benefits will encourage lower-ranked or lower-earning athletes to take as much time off as they feel they need after becoming a parent, rather than worrying about losing out on income while not entering tournaments. 'That's certainly one of the aims of the program: to provide the financial resources, the flexibility, the support, so that these athletes, regardless of where they're ranked, but particularly those who earn less, will have that agency ... to decide when and how they want to start their families,' Archer said. And, Azarenka said, this could lead some players to decide to become parents before retiring from the sport for good. 'Every feedback we've heard from players who are mothers — or who are not mothers — is like, 'Wow, this is an incredible opportunity for us,'' said 2012-13 Australian Open champion Azarenka, whose son, Leo, is 8. 'I believe it's really going to change the conversation in sports. But going beyond sports, it's a global conversation, and I'm happy that we're (part of it).' Other steps the WTA has taken in recent years to benefit players include steering more women into coaching, implementing safeguarding, attempting to stem cyberbullying, and increasing prize money with an eye to pay that equals what men receive in the sport. What role does Saudi Arabia have in tennis? The Public Investment Fund, or PIF, became the WTA's global partner last year, after much public debate — Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were among the critics — over questions about LGBTQ+ and women's rights in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom now hosts the season-ending WTA Finals and an ATP event for rising stars of men's tennis. The PIF sponsors the WTA and ATP rankings. 'We wouldn't have been able to provide the benefits were it not for this relationship and the funding that PIF provides,' Archer said. What are maternity leave policies in golf, soccer and basketball? In golf, which like tennis is an individual sport without guaranteed salaries, the LPGA introduced an updated maternity leave policy in 2019 that lets athletes have the same playing status when they return. In soccer, both the NWSL and the U.S. women's national team have collective bargaining agreements that allow for pregnancy leave and parental leave; the NWSL pays the full base salary while an athlete is pregnant. In basketball, the WNBA's CBA guarantees full pay during maternity leave. For tennis, Azarenka said, the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is 'just the beginning.' 'It's an incredible beginning. Monumental change," she said. "But I think we can look into how we can expand this fund for bigger, better things.' ___ AP Sports Writers Doug Feinberg, Doug Ferguson and Anne M. Peterson contributed to this report. ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis:
