Tennis: Female players ranking protected after freezing their eggs
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has been announced by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) that female tennis players, who wish to freeze their eggs or embryos, so they can start a family at a later date, will have their rankings protected by the WTA Tour.
This offer will be available to any player, who is ranked in the world's top 750 players and spends more than 10 weeks out of competition.
The 2017 US Open Champion, Sloane Stephens, has commented that the new rule will reduce the pressure on players to return to the court too quickly, and added:
"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."
Players, who undergo fertility treatment, will be able to use their special ranking to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return.
The special ranking will be an average of a player's ranking over a 12-week period before and during their leave.
However, players will not be able to use this ranking to enter one of the WTA premier 1000 events, as the tour wants to encourage players to undertake the procedure at a quieter time of the season.
Also, recently grants have been made available towards the cost of any fertility treatment, and, earlier this year, the WTA introduced paid maternity leave for the first time.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
