Women’s Pro Tennis Introduces Paid Maternity Leave

Female tennis players will receive paid maternity leave on the WTA Tour for the first time.

More than 320 players will be eligible for up to 12 months paid leave through a new maternity fund, introduced by governing body, the Women's Tennis Association WTA.

Grants will also be made available for fertility treatment.

Players will need to compete in a minimum number of WTA tournaments over a certain period of time to be eligible.

The maternity programme will be fully funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is a global partner of the WTA Tour.

Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic have both made their comeback from maternity leave in recent months.