The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced, on 6 March 2025, the introduction of the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program, a comprehensive new maternity policy for female players and the first of its kind for an individual sport, offering (amongst other things) up to 12 months of paid maternity leave, parental leave for non-birthing parents, and fertility treatment grants for players. 

The policy, funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), represents a significant step forward for both tennis and women’s sport more generally, as well as for individual sports, in supporting female athletes to achieve both their family and career goals. It follows, and will hopefully build on, a number of high profile success stories involving female tennis players returning to the top of the sport after becoming mothers, including Serena Williams reaching multiple Grand Slam finals after having her first child, Elena Svitolina reaching a Wimbledon semi-final less than a year after giving birth, and Belinda Bencic very recently winning her first WTA title shortly after her return to the sport. 

Existing Maternity Policies in Sport

Maternity policies in sport vary significantly across disciplines, with professional team sports (or those with sufficient resources at least) generally providing more structured support than individual sports by virtue of the fact that female athletes participating in team sports tend to be employed rather than self-employed. In professional football, for example, FIFA mandates a minimum of 14 weeks of maternity leave at two-thirds pay, while the Football Association provides 100% of a player’s weekly wage for the first 14 weeks. The Rugby Football Union offers 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave for contracted England players as well as (amongst other things) paid travel and accommodation for children under 12 months. 

By contrast, individual sports, where athletes are typically self-employed, have struggled to match the type of maternity provision offered by team sports, particularly when it comes to maternity pay. Instead, governing bodies/leagues of individual sports have tended to support their female athletes through a system of ranking protection while they are on maternity leave. The purpose of this is to enable an athlete returning to their sport post-maternity leave to achieve their previous level of competition and earnings as quickly as possible, rather than having to work their way back up the rankings from scratch. For example, the WTA’s ‘Special Ranking Rule’ allows players ranked 1-750 to return to return to competition for up to three years after giving birth (or up to two years following adoption or surrogacy) using a ‘special ranking’—the ranking they held on the day they stopped playing. This preserved ranking can be used for entry into a set number of tournaments within the first 52 weeks of their return. This system of ranking protection will continue to apply in conjunction with the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program. Similarly, World Triathlon freezes rankings from the announcement of pregnancy until the child turns 2, while the international governing body of equestrian sports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale, allows athletes on maternity leave to retain 50% of their ranking points for a maximum of 12 months. 

However, financial support in individual sports has been absent - until now.

The WTA’s New Maternity Policy

The PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is the first, and (to our knowledge) only, maternity programme in women’s sport to be fully funded and supported by an external partner, and to offer maternity pay to athletes participating in an individual sport. The policy is especially valuable for lower-ranked players who earn less prize money and benefit from less sponsorship and endorsements than the sport’s top stars.

Key provisions of the programme include:

• Funding and Eligibility: The programme is fully funded by the PIF and applies to over 320 players on the WTA Tour. To qualify, players must have competed in at least eight WTA tournaments in the previous 12 months or 24 tournaments over the previous 36 months.
• 12 Months of Paid Maternity Leave: Eligible players will receive financial support for up to a year, regardless of their ranking. The exact financial amount remains undisclosed, but all eligible players will receive the same maternity pay.
• Fertility Treatment Grants: Financial assistance is available for fertility treatments, such as egg freezing and IVF.
• Parental Leave for Non-Birthing Parents: Two months of paid leave are available to players who become parents through partner pregnancy, surrogacy, or adoption.
• No Repayment Requirement: Players are not required to repay any funds if they decide not to return to professional tennis.

Victoria Azarenka, former World No. 1, member of the WTA Players’ Council and a mother herself, played a key role in advocating for this policy. Reflecting on the programme, she said: “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… and I’m excited to see the lasting impact it will have for generations to come.” 

A Catalyst for Change?

The introduction of paid maternity leave in tennis will hopefully help push the subject of maternity provision in elite sport further up the agenda across all sports, encouraging sports governing bodies to offer (amongst other things) more generous maternity pay as well as financial support for fertility treatment in recognition of the fact that female athletes are often at the peak of their sporting careers during their most fertile years. It may also encourage sponsors of and investors in women’s sport to think about how they can play a role in improving maternity provision for female athletes. 

If you are interested in reading more about maternity policies in sport, check out our other publications on this topic:

• Bouncing Back – Maternity Policies For Elite Athletes, Lereesa Easterbrook, Victoria Boylett 
• FIFPRO’s Postpartum Return to Play Guide – Guidance for Regulatory Changes, Lereesa Easterbrook, Eloise Barry 
• FIFA’s Female Focus: Updated rules for female athletes and coaches, Lereesa Easterbrook, Josie Price 
• Women and Equalities Committee: Report on Health Barriers for Girls and Women in Sport, Lereesa Easterbrook, Josie Price
• Family-friendly Policies in Women's Sport | Women's Sport Series, Jonathan Goldsworthy, Natalie Ali