Sloane Stephens looks against Madison Keys during the Charlotte Invitational at the Spectrum Center on December 06, 2024 in Charlotte, in North Carolina.
Jacob Kupferman | Getty images
The Women's Tennis Association introduced a rule allowing players to protect their classification during fertility treatments.
Politics means that players can move away from professional tennis to undergo procedures such as the freezing of eggs or embryos and return to the tour with a protected classification.
Players must have released for 10 consecutive weeks for a procedure, and they receive a “special entrance classification” according to their recent averages. It can be used for three tournaments after its return.
“The WTA has now created a safe space for the players to explore the options and make the best decisions for themselves,” said Sloane Stephens, WTA champion, in a press release.
The rule expands existing WTA support programs, such as maternity leave, postpartum support and fertility subsidies.
“We are committed to supporting WTA players when they sail and balance the choices associated with the career and the family,” WTA CEO said Portia Archer, in a press release.
This decision comes when female athletes have prompted efforts to meet the challenges of fertility.