Sports
Williams Welcomes WTA’s New Mother Rules
Serena Williams has welcomed the decision to introduce protected rankings for new mothers on the WTA Tour from 2019.
Under new guidelines released this month, players returning to the tour following childbirth will be able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period.
When Williams took time off to have her daughter Alexis Olympia there was no such rule, meaning she was faced with a string of tough draws on her return due to her lowly ranking.
The rule will not allow returning mothers to be seeded in line with their previous ranking, and it will also not apply to grand slams.
However, Williams believes it is a step in the right direction to help players when they want to start a family.
“I think it’s great,” she told a media conference ahead of the World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi.