WTA announces rankings protections for players that undergo fertility treatments

The GIST: On Wednesday, the WTA announced it will protect the rankings of players who take time away to pursue fertility treatments like egg or embryo freezing. It’s the latest move from a pro sports organization to formally accommodate athletes’ family planning, demonstrating new ways to compassionately address the unique challenges women athletes face.

The impetus: The WTA first offered ranking protections for new mothers in 2018 thanks to the influence of tennis GOAT Serena Williams, whose world ranking fell to No. 453 after taking maternity leave for the birth of her daughter, Olympia.

• Rankings are crucial to elite tennis players because they impact seedings for major tournaments — and Williams, arguably the sport’s most dominant athlete, failed to be seeded for the French Open after her return, making her path to a championship significantly harder.

• With rankings protected, players can take time away from the sport for maternity leave or fertility treatments, then use an average of their pre-leave rankings to enter up to three tournaments upon their return.

The landscape: Increased protections for new and aspiring parents are becoming more common in the pro sports space, from brand deals to CBAs, and are reportedly central to the WNBA’s upcoming negotiations.

• The WTA also began to offer athletes up to 12 months of paid maternity leave in March. This new protection for fertility treatments further acknowledges and attempts to alleviate the significant family-building challenges elite women athletes face.

Zooming out: When women athletes face gaps in quality care and access, it provides a unique opportunity for brands to build affinity with fans by aligning with the moment. Take, for example, when Delta Air Lines filled the WNBA’s charter flight gap or when Athleta partnered with Team USA sprinter Allyson Felix after Nike failed to accommodate her pregnancy.

• In today’s movement to help women athletes pursue parenthood on their terms and without jeopardizing their careers, brands can bolster their reputation with fans — and have a real impact on players’ lives. Love that.