Mothers’ request
Tennis players could have wishes fulfilled if the WTA Tour provides child care at events,
One of the biggest revisions that could be on tap for women’s tennis players in the near future is making children’s nurseries a mandatory requirement at every tournament on the WTA Tour.
The steady influx of players choosing to combine motherhood with their lives as top-rated pros would make child care services a popular commodity. The ATP Tour provides nursery facilities because many of the players on the men’s tour travel with their families.
The latest player to join the family crowd is two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who, with 6-month-old son Leo in tow, reached Wimbledon’s third round with an impressive 6-3, 6-3 upset of 15th seed Elena Vesnina on Wednesday. The Belarus native is at Wimbledon with her boyfriend, Billy McKeague, and her mother, who help with baby responsibilities.
Azarenka joins Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko, Germany’s Tatjana Maria, Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina and Australia’s Casey Dellacqua — whose partner, Amanda Judd, gave birth to their two children — as current playing moms.
And there are at least two more players who are pregnant and planning returns to action after an appropriate amount of time after giving birth.
The most notable soon-to-be mom is Serena Williams, arguably the best women’s player ever with 23 Grand Slam tournament singles titles, including having won last while pregnant in the Australian Open in January. Williams, 35, is seven months along and is eyeing resuming her career at the start of next year.
Mandy Minella, 31, of Luxembourg revealed that she was 41⁄ months pregnant after losing her first-round match to Francesca Schiavone of Italy on Monday. Minella is also competing in the doubles competition.
“I have been already talking about this point (of needing day care services at tournaments) to some of the people in WTA,” Azarenka said. “From my own power, I’ll do anything to make that happen, because I think it’s really important. The guys (playing the ATP Tour) do have that luxury of having the nurseries and stuff at every event, and I think it’s time for women to have the same benefit. Because I think for women it’s much more important and harder.”
The tour moms — or pending moms — have a common interest that bonds them. Azarenka has chatted with retired Kim Clijsters, who returned to the game to win three of her four Grand Slam titles after the birth of her daughter, Jada.
Azarenka started Wimbledon a bit tentatively against American Catherine “Cici” Bellis on Monday, but she rebounded from a one-set deficit to reach the second round. In the encounter against Vesnina, Azarenka looked as good as ever — competitive, aggressive and consistent. They have faced off eight times and Azarenka has never lost a set.
The time away helped Azarenka improve her game. She totally rebuilt her serve into a more formidable weapon, which she said wouldn’t have been possible during the normal two-month offseason.
“I realized that I have an opportunity to change things to prolong my career, definitely work hard physically in that particular time, give myself a best chance of being in shape that I have never been before,” she said.