Nine months—the same span as a pregnancy—that’s how long it took Belinda Bencic to capture another title, her first as a mother. In Abu Dhabi, the Olympic champion from Tokyo lifted the gold trophy with her daughter Belle by her side. The little one reached out curiously, tiny hand stretching toward the gleaming prize.
Bencic’s comeback is more than a personal victory; it’s a testament to the resilience of the female body. It’s also a sign of changing times. Once, motherhood almost always meant the end of a professional career. Today, it can simply be a pause.
The WTA must recognize motherhood as a natural stage of a player’s life, deserving protection in the rules, not an exception. At the moment, just over twenty mothers are active on tour. Their stories, etched in tennis history, are striking. In 1972, Margaret Court claimed her 22nd Grand Slam singles title less than a year after giving birth to her son, Daniel. She took another break for a second child, then came back again to win more before retiring. Her countrywoman Evonne Goolagong Cawley gave birth to daughter Kelly in March 1977—then, just six months later, lifted the Australian Open trophy in both singles and doubles. Fast forward to the 2000s, when Belgium’s Kim Clijsters matched Court with three Grand Slam singles titles as a mother. The first, the 2009 US Open, came as a wild card entry—two weeks later, she was celebrating with her toddler Jada on Arthur Ashe.
Who can forget Serena Williams? She won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant, then returned after childbirth to claim a title in Auckland in 2020. Or Victoria Azarenka, who came back in 2017 with her son Leo often visible courtside, and remains a fixture in the tour today.
The 2020 US Open quarterfinals marked a symbolic moment: three of the eight players—Tsvetana Pironkova, Serena Williams, and Azarenka—were mothers. Azarenka reached the final, where she fell to Naomi Osaka—who, five years later, herself joined the list of players returning after maternity leave.
The path back is eased by ranking freezes and wild cards, but the bigger question has always been about fairness: how to make sure every player, not just the stars, can combine motherhood with career and financial security.
On March 6, 2025, just before International Women’s Day, the WTA unveiled a groundbreaking initiative: a year of paid maternity leave for players at WTA 250 level or above, regardless of ranking. The program also includes financial support for fertility treatments, such as IVF, and fertility preservation, such as egg freezing. The WTA estimated that more than 300 players could benefit at the launch.
Funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the initiative sparked debate over sportswashing, given the country’s human rights record, even as it hosts the WTA Finals and other events.
Still, the program’s core remains strong, shaped largely by the WTA Players’ Council, including Azarenka. Retired champion Kim Clijsters, the last mother to win a Slam, calls it a long-overdue step: “I don’t want to be the last one who did it”.
Ewelina Burda
