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."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBC

18 hours ago

• CBC

Leylah Fernandez tops hometown favourite in 1st round of German tennis event

Canada's Leylah Fernandez defeated Germany's Tatjana Maria 6-0, 7-6 (1) on Sunday in the opening round of the Bad Homburg Open. Fernandez of Laval, Que., had three aces to one double fault and won 61 per cent of her first-serve points. The 22-year-old also broke on all four of her chances in the match. Despite Maria's big push in the second set, looking to extend the match to a third, Fernandez cruised in the tiebreaker, 7-1, to take the victory. Maria had four aces, two double faults and won 67 per cent of her first-serve points. The 37-year-old broke on her lone opportunity of the contest.

National Post

18 hours ago

• National Post

Canada's Fernandez tops Germany's Maria to advance at Bad Homburg Open

BAD HOMBURG — Canada's Leylah Fernandez defeated Germany's Tatjana Maria 6-0, 7-6 (1) on Sunday in the opening round of the Bad Homburg Open. Article content Fernandez of Laval, Que., had three aces to one double fault and won 61 per cent of her first-serve points. Article content

CBC

3 days ago

• CBC

Canada's Fernandez ousted by Yastremska in Nottingham quarterfinals

Canada's Leylah Fernandez dropped a 6-3, 7-6 (6) decision to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in the Nottingham Open quarterfinals on Thursday. Yastremska saved a set point in the second-set tiebreak. She converted both her break chances, while Fernandez went 1-for-8. Yastremska finished with five aces to Fernandez's one. The Laval, Que., native, seeded fifth at the grass-court event, landed 73 per cent of her first serves but won just 41 per cent on second serve. It was Yastremska's first win in three career meetings with Fernandez.