Ahead of International Women’s Day, the new program is designed to make it easier to balance work and family life.
Just in time for International Women’s Day, the WTA Tour has launched a program for its professional tennis players to help them better balance work and family life. Retroactively effective January 1, more than 300 players are entitled to 12 months of paid maternity leave if they become pregnant.
Professionals who experience the joys of motherhood in other ways, such as a partner pregnancy or adoption, will receive financial support during a two-month parental leave without match appearances.
“Independent contractors and self-employed individuals are not typically eligible for these types of maternity benefits. That’s why our program is truly groundbreaking and the first time in the history of women’s sports that independent, self-employed athletes have received comprehensive maternity benefits,” WTA boss Portia Archer said about the project, according to several media outlets.
The WTA did not provide any financial details when presenting the program, which is sponsored by its main sponsor from Saudi Arabia. “This initiative will provide the current and next generation of players with the support and flexibility to discover family life in whatever form and whenever they want to,” emphasized Archer.
According to her organization, there are currently 25 mothers active on the WTA Tour. Most recently, Tokyo Olympics champion Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) made headlines by winning the title at the tournament in Abu Dhabi, around four months after the end of her maternity leave.
Even before Bencic, several top stars had returned to the tour after the birth of their children. Among the most notable players were former world number ones Serena Williams (USA), Naomi Osaka (Japan), Kim Clijsters (Belgium), Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) and Victoria Azarenka (Belarus).
