WTA Introduces Ranking Protection for Players Undergoing Fertility Treatment.
Female tennis players who choose to freeze their eggs or embryos in order to start a family later in life will now have their WTA ranking protected during their time away from the sport. This new policy applies to any player ranked within the world’s top 750 who is absent from competition for more than 10 weeks.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion and a former WTA Players’ Council member, has welcomed the move. She believes it will ease the pressure on players to rush back to the court. The 32-year-old, who has won eight WTA titles, told BBC Sport she has undergone the egg-freezing process twice during the off-season.
“The first time I did it, I rushed back, was overweight, unhappy, and just very stressed,” Stephens said. “The second time, I took a completely different approach — gave myself more time to recover and was in better shape. Having protected ranking status means players don’t feel forced to return early and risk their health. It’s the best possible support.”
Under the policy, players undergoing fertility treatment will be eligible to use a special ranking to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of returning. This special ranking is calculated as the average of a player's ranking during the 12-week period before and during their absence.
However, players cannot use this ranking to enter WTA 1000 events, as the tour hopes to encourage these procedures to be scheduled during quieter periods in the calendar.
Stephens emphasized the importance of flexibility, saying, “It’s all trial and error — everyone’s body is different. Some might be out for three months, others just one week. Some gain a lot of weight, some don’t. When you're family planning, support like this makes a huge difference.”
WTA CEO Portia Archer confirmed the policy was driven by player advocacy. “This was very much initiated by the players,” she said. “We want to help them navigate the overlap between peak athletic performance and peak fertility, which often presents a difficult choice.”
Additionally, the WTA has introduced financial support for fertility treatments, including grants, and earlier this year implemented paid maternity leave for the first time. Over 320 players are now eligible for up to 12 months of paid leave, regardless of their ranking.
Since rule changes in 2019, returning mothers have also been able to use their previous ranking to enter up to 12 tournaments over a three-year period following childbirth. The WTA further supports new and expectant mothers with access to a dedicated health team, providing physical assessments, mental health resources, and personalized return-to-play plans.
Tennis is not alone in this initiative. The WNBA, for example, offers up to \$60,000 in fertility treatment reimbursements, including egg freezing. Other high-profile athletes who have spoken about egg freezing include England cricket captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former England netballer Geva Mentor.
Reactions from current players have been overwhelmingly positive. Australian Open champion Madison Keys called the move “absolutely amazing.”
“We’ve all gotten better at keeping our bodies healthy and playing longer,” she said. “For many of us, family planning is a big part of that. Having the security and peace of mind to take care of it, and to come back without starting from the bottom again, is such a gift.”
German player Tatjana Maria, ranked 81st and a mother of two, also praised the WTA’s actions. However, she noted that more could be done to support mothers on tour.
“There are still challenges,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live. “From hotel accommodations to accreditations, the WTA could make life easier for mums. What they’re doing is helpful, but there’s still room to grow.”
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