The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has signaled a new era for professional female tennis athletes by unveiling on Wednesday that those players that carry out fertility protection procedures, such as egg or embryo freezing, shall be allowed to come back to the tour with a protected ranking.
The new rule change is basically an upgrade of the framework which enables the players to go for such procedures and still be able to compete as if they had not been away. The 12-week average WTA ranking from eight weeks prior to the break will be the basis for the Special Entry Ranking (SER) to be given to eligible players. The SER may be used as a ticket to enter up to three tournaments upon return.
This arrangement can be viewed as a continuation of the WTA’s decision of March this year to offer a 12-month maternity leave to the players as one of the steps toward the realization of the family planning concept for female athletes in tennis. Also, the WTA Maternity Fund, which is supported by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, will provide players with funds.
One of the advocates of the fertility choice being taken into consideration in the player protection policy, Sloane Stephens, the ex-US Open champion, co-signed the announcement as being “ground-breaking”.
Stephens went on: “This is a very difficult and complicated topic for any woman. Family and work. The WTA has therefore established a secure place where the players can decide in peace, after they have thoroughly explored all the available options, what is best for them.”
Opinions: That is exactly the right step. A woman’s fertility is limited at a certain time, and the unfairness that has prevailed for so long has been that female athletes have had to choose between their biological clock and career.
WTA’s decision to help fertility preservation and at the same time not punish players’ rankings, demonstrates that the organization understands the difficult situation that women are in and is ready to be a leader of the cause. The recognition of the fact that a peak athletic career and long-term family planning can co-exist is long overdue.
