Female tennis players are now eligible for salary maternity leaves that mean by PIF in Saudi Arabia

Pregnant players on female tennis tour can now get a 12 -month salary leave, and those who are parents through partner pregnancy, surrogacy or adoption can be sponsored by the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia and pay two months leave by paying under a program declared by the WTA.

“These types of maternity benefits are usually not provided and are not available to individual contractors and self-employed people. They have to go out and pick them up to sort these benefits, “W.A. CEO Portia Archer says.

More than 5 players are eligible for the fund, which is the return of January 5th.

The program-which is identified as “maternity benefits for the first time in women’s sports history” as independent, self-employed athletes-also provide grants for the treatment of fertility with eggs frozen and IVF.

This is part of a broader tendency: women’s sports are emphasized on meeting motherhood and parental needs as the sport grows.

How many mothers are there now on a female tennis tour?

WTA says 25 mothers are active on tour; One, Belinda Benic, the gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics, won a title after returning from the maternity leave in October.

More professionals in tennis have returned to the action with the winners of the Grand Slam title like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Kim Cleizzters, Caroline Wajniaki and Victoria Azernka, with the winners of the number-ranked player and the Grand Slam title winners.

A member of the Aznerka-WAA Players Council, who acknowledged that pressure played a key role in pressing the fund-that these benefits would encourage lower-ranked or low-cost athletes to take longer than their parents thinking about losing their income.

“This is definitely one of the goals of the program: providing financial resources, flexibility, support so that these athletes do not get their place wherever they earn, but those who earn less will keep the agency … to decide when and how they want to start their family,” Archer said.

And, Aznerka said it could decide to become a parent before retiring from the game.

Australian Open Champion Azernka, whose son Leo, 8-year-old, says, “We have heard the players’ mothers or every response we have heard,” Wow, this is an incredible opportunity for us, “” said Australian Open Champion Aznerka, whose son Leo 8. But out of the sport it is a global conversation, and I am happy that we (part of it). “

Other steps in the WA for the benefit of the players include coaching more women in coaching, applying protection, trying to overcome cyber bullets, and raising prizes to pay equal amounts of men in sports.

What is Saudi Arabia’s role in tennis?

Public Investment Fund, or PIF, became the WTA’s Global Partner last year, after many public debates – Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were critics – LGBTUI+ and Women’s Rights.

Kingdom is now an ATP event for the season-last WA final and the men’s tennis Rising Stars. PIF sponsor the WA and ATP rankings.

Archer said, “For this relationship and PIF that does not provide funds we would not have provided the benefits.”

What are the principles of maternity holidays in golf, sac and basketball?

Golf, which is a separate game without a guarantee of tennis, introduced an update maternity holiday policy in 2019, which provides the same game when the athletes return.

In the context, both NWSL and the US female national team have a joint bid agreement that allows pregnancy leave and parent leave; NWSL pays full base salary while an athlete is pregnant.

In Basketball, WNBA’s CBA guarantees full pay during maternity holidays.

For tennis, Aznerka said the PIF WTA maternity fund program was “just starting”.

“This is an incredible start. Memorial changes, “he said. “But I think we can find out how to expand for this fund, even better.”