Holding a child in her left arm and a cup in her right! These mothers amazed the tennis world in the 2025 season

In the 2025 season, the WTA Tour introduced the groundbreaking PIF WTA Maternity Fund to offer economic aid and resources to qualifying WTA players for childbirth. This year, an increasing number of mothers have made comebacks on the tour after childbirth, with these mother players consistently achieving memorable milestones, securing trophies, and improving their rankings steadily.

However, beyond wins and losses on the court, what is truly precious is the spirit of resilience, strength, and determination they embody. Below is a summary of the outstanding achievements by mom players on the 2025 WTA Tour, who exemplify the spirit of champions and inspire women worldwide to pursue their dreams bravely.

Belinda Bencic

Belinda BencicAfter giving birth to her daughter Bella last year, she reached the Round of 16 at her first Grand Slam back at the Australian Open this year, then claimed the title in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first mom player to win a singles tour title since 2023. With strong performances including the Indian Wells quarterfinals, Wimbledon semifinals, and Tokyo championship, Bencic’s world ranking soared from No. 487 at the start of the year to No. 11 by year-end, earning her the title of Comeback Player of the Year.

“During my pregnancy, I hardly thought about tennis or planned a return. We are so grateful that Bella came into our lives, and I’m thrilled to still be able to do what I love and achieve good results—it feels like a little dream come true,” Bencic said. She expressed a strong desire to have more children and emphasized that female tennis players don’t have to choose between family and career, “I hope my experience can give confidence to players who want to become mothers.”

Naomi Osaka

Naomi OsakaOsaka had an excellent year, reaching the Auckland final in her tour return early in the season and winning a WTA 125 title during the clay season, demonstrating her strong comeback determination. During the North American swing, she announced her full return to the top tier with a runner-up finish in Montreal and a semifinal appearance at the US Open. After welcoming her daughter Shai in 2023, this marks Osaka’s most successful season yet, finishing the year ranked No. 16, back inside the Top 20.

“I’ve been inspired by all the mom players on tour, but I often felt anxious, like I wasn’t doing well enough or was falling behind. When all the moms returned and quickly achieved good results, I even questioned if something was wrong with me,” Osaka said after reaching the US Open semifinals, sharing that she finally felt relieved from the pressure about her performance.

Tatjana Maria

Tatjana MariaWith her two daughters watching, she lifted the highest-level trophy of her career, starting from the qualifiers and consecutively defeating top players like Muchova, Rybakina, Keys, and Anisimova to win the London grass court event. After her victory, 37-year-old Maria reached a career-high ranking of No. 36 in July. She said, “This is a truly special moment for all of us, like a family reunion. This trophy is ours together because we always fight side by side and work as one.”

“People always say ‘it’s time to retire, you’re too old,’ and they come up with all kinds of reasons. I’ve proven that even at this age, you can still win major titles. I’m proud of my performance because I always believed in it, and so did my husband.”

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova gave birth to her son last July and chose to return to the court this February. As the first “90s-born” Grand Slam singles champion in women’s tennis, her career has been legendary. Neither mononucleosis nor a violent attack that injured her playing hand stopped her determination to compete. After claiming her first victory since return in Rome this May, Kvitova recalled: “By the 2023 China Open, I was exhausted with tennis and thought ‘I can’t keep going,’ so we decided to have a child. At that time, I felt there was a 95% chance I wouldn’t return to the tour.”

“After pregnancy, when I could finally do something again, I played a few matches, and it felt amazing. I kept smiling the whole time.” Following farewell matches at Wimbledon and the US Open, Kvitova officially retired and recently announced she is expecting her second child.

Victoria Azarenka

As a WTA Players’ Council representative and a mom player, Victoria Azarenka has consistently worked to support more female players returning to the tour after pregnancy. Although she competed less this year, her presence remains a role model for mom players on tour. Additionally, Taylor Townsend became the first mom player to reach No. 1 in doubles this year; Elina Svitolina set new standards in women’s sports by achieving excellent results in major tournaments and maintaining a steady Top 20 ranking.

(Written and edited by: Dato, Photos: Visual China)