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The WTA will now protect the locations of female tennis profits taking time away from competition to undergo fertility protection procedures, the trip announced on Wednesday.
The player-led measure allows female tennis players to use a special entry ranking (SE) for up to three tournaments if they choose to undergo a “Fertility Protection Procedure such as eggs or embryos. ”
A shadow of a player at the French Open in Paris. (istock)
“By introducing this new form of ranking protection, the WTA helps support and strengthen female athletes to balance a professional sports career with planning and start a family at a time of their choice,” the trip in a news message said Wednesday.
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The new measure adds WTA’s family focus program, which already includes ranking protection during pregnancies or other funds for parenting and postpartum support. It also follows WTA’s announcement in March that tennis players on tour can receive 12 months paid maternity leave.
“I am incredibly proud of our sport of recognizing the importance of fertility treatments for female athletes,” 2017 Us open Champion Sloane Stephens said in a statement from the tour.
Sloane Stephens returns a ball to greet the mining (not depicted) during the first round game at Sobeys Stadium August 6, 2024. (John E. Sokolowski/USA Today Sports)
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“For every woman, the conversation about family life versus is a career nuanced and complex. WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore opportunities and to make the best decisions for themselves. It is truly pioneering and will strengthen this generation and future generations of players, to continue with the sport they love without having to compromise.”
Talking to BBC, Stephens explained her own experiences and the challenges she faced under the previous rules.
“The first time I did, I hurried back and I was overweight and not happy and just very stressed,” she told the business. “The second time I did, I took a completely different approach so I could just be in better shape. I could have the operation. I could have more time to recover.
The WTA Tour logo on the web at Mutua Madrid Open on La Caja Magica April 23, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
“Having the protected location there so that players do not feel compelled to get back early and risk their health again is the best possible.”
The seren will be based on the 12-week average of the player’s WTA location from eight weeks before the start of their out-of-competition period.
