Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are part of a trend of more mothers competing on the WTA Tour.
While Osaka and Kerber both gave birth in 2023 and returned to top-level competition within 18 months, Wozniacki gave birth to her second child in late 2022 and returned to tennis the following August.
According to the WTA, there are about 20 mothers playing on the tour, but what’s causing this change?
“There are obviously more mothers on tour, but obviously back in the day having a child was career-ending and some would say that,” Osaka said. Sky Sports Earlier this year.
“Having a family is a wonderful thing and I think we should all try to support that as much as we can.”
Twenty years ago, the average age of the top 100 players was under 24. Now they’re nearly 27, giving athletes a much better chance of starting a family and returning to sport.
“I think the way football is played has improved and the environment surrounding it, in terms of physical health and nutrition, has allowed players to extend their careers,” said former British number one Johanna Konta.
“Women are realizing that they can physically return after going through the recovery process after giving birth.”
“Tennis is expensive, whether you have kids or not.”
Prize money is also one of the reasons why tennis players choose to become mothers alongside their careers.
This year’s Wimbledon saw the two singles champions take home £2.7 million each, bringing the total prize money to a record £50 million – double the £25 million in 2014 and five times what it was 20 years ago.
For many players, financial stability is another reason they can walk away from the tour with peace of mind.
“You don’t get a lot of support in tennis. If you play at the WTA level, you just get a hotel room paid for,” Naomi Broady said.
“At ITF level, you pay for your own hotel. It’s a very expensive sport to play, whether you have kids or not.”
“We need to make enough money to cover the extra costs of kids, hotels and travel.”
While the mother is away, the rankings drop.
In 2017, Serena Williams won the Australian Open final while eight weeks pregnant, not dropping a single set on her way to lifting the trophy.
In 2017, Serena Williams was eight weeks pregnant when she defeated her sister Venus in the Australian Open women’s singles final.
Williams is not the first elite athlete to compete while pregnant.
In 2014, American athlete Alicia Montano ran the 800 meters at the USA Track and Field Championships while 34 weeks pregnant.
More recently, AC Milan became the first club in Europe to institute a maternity policy for female players and staff that guarantees contract renewal during pregnancy.
Many changes are being implemented to help sports adapt to the needs of mothers, and tennis is no exception.
Williams was ranked 453rd in the world before returning to Grand Slam competition at the 2018 French Open.
Serena Williams was ranked 453rd in the world before making her Grand Slam return at the 2018 French Open.
The WTA has since revised its rules to protect the rankings of returning mothers, as lower rankings mean tougher draws and fewer opportunities for prestigious tournaments.
“Before, there wasn’t any specific maternity leave policy. It was pretty much the same as an injury timeout,” Brodie said.
“So that means you have two years to return to the sport and then your rankings will be fixed and can be used for the eight tournaments after your return.
“But from 2019, maternity rules mean that women can return within three years of giving birth and can enter 12 events with the protected ranking they had at the time they took a break.”
Maternity benefits remain an issue
More moms than ever before are playing on the WTA Tour
Most of the prize money goes to the top 200 players in the world.
Players outside this range typically earn less than £50,000 a year and, as independent contractors, tennis players are not entitled to maternity pay, posing a major challenge for many.
“Simply put, if I don’t have money to invest in my career, I think it will be very difficult to come back,” Konta added.
“So, if you get to a certain level in the game, you have certain opportunities like wild cards and big events that could potentially help you come back sooner.
“But if you don’t get that benefit, it’s going to be hard to come back.”
Johanna Konta announced her retirement in 2021 at the age of 30.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka wants to see unprecedented change in the sports world in the pursuit of equality.
“The next thing we want to do is come up with a financial plan for the baby, which I don’t think anyone has done before,” Azarenka told Sky Sports’ Karthi Gnanasegaram in March.
“You also get the benefit of disability insurance. It’s a very physical sport – you never know what’s going to happen and you’re dedicating your life to it so there are going to be times when you’re stuck with no income for periods of time.
“So I think it’s really important to find ways to develop these programs and pension plans, but maternity plans are my No. 1 priority.”
