WTA announces first of its kind maternity benefits plan for players

NEW YORK – The WTA will offer players up to 12 months of paid maternity leave for the first time, the women’s tennis tour said on March 6, as part of a sweeping new family benefits programme sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Under the plan, players will have access to grants for fertility treatment and other benefits. The WTA said it is the first time that maternity benefits are available to self-employed athletes.

“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 chief executive Portia Archer said.

“For some time, we have been exploring how we can increase our support for players to help them become parents.”

The WTA first announced its partnership with the PIF in 2024.

More than 320 players are eligible for the benefits, with criteria reliant on competing in a “certain number of WTA tournaments in a window of time”.

WTA Players’ Council Representative Victoria Azarenka, who gave birth in 2016 and missed eight months of competition in 2017 and 2018 due to a custody battle with her son’s father, said she expected the programme would have a “lasting impact”.

“This marks the beginning of a meaningful shift in how we support women in tennis, making it easier for athletes to pursue both their careers and their aspirations of starting a family,” the Belarusian two-time Grand Slam winner said.

Belinda Bencic, who won Olympic gold for Switzerland in Tokyo in 2021 and has returned to the WTA tour after having daughter Bella last April, also welcomed the development.

“Absolutely it’s the best news, really. I think we are very proud as players for the WTA (to be) the first sport in female sports to make this,” she