For the first time in the history of tennis, WTA players will receive paid maternity leave on the tour.

More than 320 players will be eligible for up to 12 months of paid leave through the WTA's new Maternity Fund, funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the WTA Tour's global partner. Players need to play a minimum number of WTA events within a certain amount of time to qualify, and the program will also provide a grant for fertility treatment.

Last year, former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka said it would be "a huge win for the women's community" if the WTA introduced a maternity pay policy, while four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka had previously said that paid maternity leave would be "life-changing".

Since the 2019 WTA rule change, new mothers can use their original rankings to play 12 tournaments within three years of their child's birth, and will not play seeded players in the first eight tournaments if their protection ranking is high enough to qualify for seeding.

But the commitment to paid maternity leave for expectant mothers marks an important change for the WTA and its players. "It's not easy to find a balance between the physical and emotional challenges of a professional tennis career and the complexities of motherhood and family life." "This initiative will provide current and future players with the support and flexibility to explore family life in the way they choose," said Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA. ”

It is worth mentioning that Djokovic has commented on the controversial remarks made by former tournament director Raymond Moore about women's tennis. He believes Moore's remarks are inappropriate and stresses that female players deserve more respect.

In 2016, Moore said that female players "rely on the aura of male players" and are "very, very lucky" to have men's tennis leading the way. He also said that if he were a female player, he would "get down on his knees every night and thank God for the birth of Federer and Nadal because they have sustained the sport".

Djokovic, who defeated Raonic to win the ATP Masters 1000 that year, was asked about the controversy in his post-match press conference. He acknowledged that Moore's remarks were disrespectful to women, but at the same time said the ATP Tour should be fighting for higher prize money.

"I don't know what to say." "I heard about it," he said. Obviously, this is a very sensitive topic. Women deserve respect and admiration, they fight for their rights, and they receive equal bonuses. Equal prize money has been a central topic in the tennis world for the past seven or eight years. ”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion added: "They fought for what they deserved, and they succeeded. On the other hand, I think our men's tennis world should also fight for more prize money, because the data shows that the men's singles matches have far more spectators than the women's singles matches. ”

Raymond Moore's remarks sparked the wrath of WTA legends, with Serena Williams, Navratilova and others publicly denouncing him. Serena Williams reached the Indian Wells final but lost to Azarenka, and she told the media after the match: "If you read his interview, the words 'kneel' are offensive enough in themselves, let alone 'thank you'. We've come a long way as women. We should not be on our knees at any time. ”

Navratilova also voiced her opinion, telling the media that she was heartbroken by Moore's "biased" remarks. She even ventured to say that female players might boycott the tournament if Moore continued to serve as tournament director, "It's disheartening to see Ray Moore make such biased, stale and outdated statements." If he continues to be tournament director, it's hard for me to imagine any female player willing to go to Indian Wells. ”

Eventually, Moore resigned as CEO and tournament director of the Indian Wells event and apologized for his remarks. However, the backlash of public opinion is a foregone conclusion, and the impact is irreversible.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)