Serena Williams' experience returning from pregnancy inspired tennis rule changes
Serena Williams returned to tennis in 2018 after giving birth to her daughter, and her experience in the game has helped inspire several rule changes to make it easier for women to return to the game.
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The Women’s Tennis Association announced on Monday that women who take a break from the game due to pregnancy or medical condition will be able to freeze their ranking from before their leave, and then use a special ranking for up to three years. The special ranking can also be used for seeding without displacing a seeded player.
Additionally, the rules don’t just make room for women who are taking a break due to pregnancy, but also for adoption, surrogacy and legal guardianship — though the special ranking period for those is two years instead of three.
Williams dealt with issues from her maternity leave throughout 2018. After giving birth to her daughter in 2017 and experiencing life-threatening complications, she competed in the 2018 French Open, her first major in nearly 18 months. Due to her lengthy absence from competition (her last major was the 2017 Australian Open, which she won), she was unseeded at the French Open, despite owning the Open-era record for Grand Slam titles and winning her previous major.
Williams also competed at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2018, and reached the finals in both tournaments. She was seeded 25th and 17th respectively.
USA Today reported that the rule changes were partially inspired by Williams and by Victoria Azarenka, who both returned to competition after giving birth this year. The rules will go into effect for the upcoming 2019 season.
Azarenka is a member of the WTA Players’ Council, and told USA Today that she wants the WTA to be progressive and inclusive.
“Our players should feel comfortable and confident to take time away from the courts to have a family or recover from injury.”
The WTA had previously announced another Williams-inspired rule change, clarifying that compressions shorts and leggings can be worn without a skirt. Williams wore a black and red catsuit to the 2018 French Open due to her history of blood clots (which complicated the birth of her daughter), and the French Tennis Federation subsequently tightened up their dress code to disallow catsuits in the future. The WTA’s rule clarification won’t change that, but Williams is now free to wear a catsuit anywhere besides France.
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