The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) on Thursday (Mar 6) announced a historic decision to pay female tennis stars for maternity leave. The decision comes as part of the sweeping new family benefits programme sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Female tennis athletes will be eligible for up to 12 months of maternity leave while they are away from action.

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WTA makes historic decision

"It can be challenging to balance the physical and emotional demands of a professional tennis career with the complexities of motherhood and family life," WTA CEO Portia Archer said in a statement.

"For some time, we have been exploring how we can increase our support for players to help them become parents at a time of their choice."

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The WTA’s latest initiative will see approximately 320 players on tour eligible for maternity leave, setting up an off-court benchmark.

The program also includes grants for fertility treatments like IVF, supporting players' family planning. WTA CEO Portia Archer called this unprecedented program groundbreaking for independent athletes. Currently, 25 mothers are active on the tour, demonstrating the rise of parental athletes in tennis.

“This support will empower lower-ranked players with parental decisions. This policy reflects a broader trend, prioritizing maternity benefits in growing women's sports. The WTA continues efforts to enhance athlete welfare, including coaching opportunities and prize money equality,” Victoria Azarenka emphasised.

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In recent years, the WTA and authorities have taken major steps to empower women’s tennis. At Grand Slams and majority tour events, women are paid equal prize money which was not the case at the turn of the millennium.

On the other hand, FIFA also increased the share of women players on international duty prior to the Women’s World Cup in 2023. On 1 June 2024, new FIFA policies came into effect which saw eligible female players get a paid leave of up to 14 weeks.