WTA players to receive maternity pay for first time
The women’s tour has recently seen the return from maternity leave of some high-profile names, yet none were paid during their time away from the sport
Belinda Bencic returned after giving birth earlier this year © Altaf Qadri/AP/SIPA
WTA players will receive paid maternity leave on the Tour for the first time in the history of the sport.
More than 320 players will be eligible for up to 12 months paid leave through a new maternity fund introduced by the WTA and funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a global partner of the WTA Tour.
Players will need to compete in a minimum number of WTA tournaments over a certain period of time to be eligible, with grants also being made available for fertility treatment.
Last year, former world No1 Victoria Azarenka said it would be a “huge win for women in general” if the WTA was to introduce maternity pay while four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has also previously said that paid maternity leave would be “life-changing”.
Since the WTA introduced rule changes in 2019, new mothers have been able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period from the birth of their child, as well as a guarantee that players whose protected ranking is high enough to be seeded will not face a seeded player in the first round of their opening eight tournaments.
But the commitment to providing paid leave for expectant mothers is a significant development for the WTA and its players.
“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 chief executive Portia Archer said.
“This initiative will provide the current and next generation of players the support and flexibility to explore family life, in whatever form they choose.”
