WTA players set to receive maternity pay for first time in groundbreaking move

Female tennis players will receive paid maternity leave for the first time after a groundbreaking announcement was made with more than 320 players able to be eligible for up to 12 months paid leave.

Grants will also be made available for fertility treatment and although the players will need to compete in a minimum amount of tournaments to be eligible, it is a move which has been fought for especially by Victoria Azarenka.

Azarenka sits on the Players' Council and has long advocated for this move. It will be fully funded by Saudi Arabia's PIF (Public Investment Fund) and would've benefited such players as Petra Kvitova, Belinda Bencic and Naomi Osaka.

“It’s a very global conversation, much bigger than just sport,” says Azarenka as per CNN.

“It’s such an important topic in all walks of life, people have families, and I think that it’s a very important conversation to continue to bring to the table.”

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“When I became pregnant with my son, it was a conversation about: am I going to be coming back to the tour or not?” Azarenka recalled. “I had doubts right away. I was also scared … I was top five in the world at the time.

“It was an interesting way for me to find out that we didn’t really have any rules even in our organization to address maternity leave.”

But it was also before Azarenka with Serena Williams being an example too when she gave birth. Both players in the view of Azarenka broke the mould. While it took the Belarusian some time to return to her best, she did so and at 35 is still competing at the highest level.

Belinda Bencic (pictured) would've benefited and returned to the tour surging to a title at Abu Dhabi last month.

“I feel like me and Serena broke the stereotype that in tennis it’s going to be possible and that’s what we’re so proud to do,” Azarenka explains.

“I wanted to make sure that all of our other athletes feel the same way as well as that. Not everybody has the financial opportunity to stop playing and not have any income so that was a very big project of mine.

“I really believe that helping other people, helping our sport grow is something that gives me a lot of pleasure, a lot of pride, probably more than my own winnings (and) I do believe this is a very life-changing program.”

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