Stephens hails the WTA’s new fertility protection rule as a game-changer for women athletes
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has introduced a new rule allowing female players to take time off for fertility preservation procedures, like egg or embryo freezing, without sacrificing their place on tour. The regulation extends the association’s growing support for women balancing career and family, following its earlier policy of offering up to 12 months of paid maternity leave.
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The WTA said in a statement, “The new rule means that players can now take time away from professional tennis for a fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing and safely return to competition with a protected ranking.”
Players will receive a Special Entry Ranking (SER), calculated from their 12-week average ranking eight weeks before their break. This can be used to enter up to three tournaments within ten weeks of return, though not for top-tier events. Players who are ranked between 1 and 750 in singles or doubles and who are out of competition for at least 10 weeks in a row due to a “fertility protection procedure” are eligible.
Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open champion, praised the policy as “groundbreaking.” A longtime advocate, Stephens revealed she’s undergone egg freezing twice during the off-season. She told BBC Sport:
“The first time I did it, I rushed back, and I was overweight and not happy and just very stressed out. 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.”
She also said, “The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves.” Further, the WTA confirmed that through its Maternity Fund, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, financial grants will now help players afford fertility treatment.
This reform is the latest in the WTA’s effort to support women beyond the court. Since 2019, mothers have been allowed to use their prior ranking in up to 12 tournaments within three years of giving birth. Now, similar consideration extends to players choosing to freeze their eggs.
As Stephens put it, the regulation lifts the pressure: “The regulation will lessen the pressure on athletes to return to the court too soon.” It’s a shift toward a more compassionate sport, one where athletes can plan for the future without compromising their present.
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