Women’s pro tennis introduces paid maternity leave funded by Saudi PIF

Big changes are coming to professional women’s tennis.

The Women’s Tennis Association and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund have launched a new program to provide players with maternity and child family planning benefits, the organizations said on Thursday. Women’s tennis is one of the last professional sports to provide these benefits — and players have been asking.

As part of the program, eligible players will receive up to 12 months of paid maternity leave. Players will also have access to grants to cover fertility conception and egg freezing treatments. The WTA said the new policy will benefit 320 eligible players.

“This initiative will provide the current and next generation of players the support and flexibility to explore family life, in whatever form they choose,” Portia Archer, WTA CEO, said in a statement.

The PIF WTA maternity fund program is the first and only maternity program in women’s sport to be fully funded and supported by an external partner, the WTA said. PIF declined to comment on how much it is contributing to this program, but the organizations said players will be compensated equally.

In May, the Saudi public investment fund and the WTA agreed to a multi-year partnership as Saudi Arabia looks to further its investment into sports. PIF also funds the LIV Golf league.

The partnership has drawn criticism from some current and former players due to Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses. The new policy could be an attempt by the PIF to show U.S. tennis fans that the Kingdom is changing.

“PIF partnerships are designed to elevate every level of sport and leave a legacy of transformative impact on a global scale,” said Alanoud Althonayan, head of events and sponsorships at PIF, in a statement.

While the changes signal a positive step for women’s tennis, the sport is following in the footsteps of other professional women’s sports as maternity benefits have emerged as a key issue for players in recent years.

“Thinking back about my experience in 2008 when I had my daughter, there was no support,” said Kim Clijsters, former WTA No. 1 player and a PIF Ambassador, in a statement. “I think this is going to be a career changing opportunity for a lot of players.”

The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement with players guarantees women full pay during maternity leave. FIFA and the National Women’s Soccer League also recently expanded their maternity benefits.

Thursday’s announcement has been a long time coming for former top ranked star Victoria Azarenka. She has been advocating for maternity pay in tennis since giving birth to her son in 2016. Azarenka sits on the players’ council advocating for increased benefits.

“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,” Azarenka said in a statement. “Ensuring that programs like this exist has been a personal mission of mine, and I’m excited to see the lasting impact it will have for generations to come.”