Wimbledon’s ‘working mother’ players want more time with children

Female stars ask for better scheduling of matches and protected seeding status after maternity leave

WIMBLEDON’S female players are campaigning for better treatment of working mothers so that they can spend more time with their children.

Some of the leading women in tennis have held meetings to press for the sport to adopt better maternity policies to encourage players to return to the sport after giving birth.

It comes as Serena Williams – who has returned to SW19 this year for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia – today continues her campaign to win back the singles title she last held in 2016.

Several of the players at this year’s championships have also spoken of the guilt they feel about leaving their children when they train or play. Many mothers on the professional women’s tennis tour are known to be aggrieved about poor scheduling at tournaments, as well as the arrangements made to protect their seeding position after they come back from maternity leave.

There have been repeated complaints by Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian world no 87; Tatjana Maria, the German world no 57, and others about “To Be Arranged” matches at Wimbledon, which leave them not knowing what time they will play, leaving them struggling to find childcare.

Another demand is that the seeded status for women coming back into the sport after taking maternity leave should be protected.

Pressure from the women’s players council is thought to have contributed to a recent change of policy by both Wimbledon and the US Open, who gave Serena Williams a seeded position when she returned to the game after giving birth. However, the players want it for every tournament.

Azarenka, who by contrast was not seeded when she returned to Wimbledon in 2017 after giving birth, said: “I think it’s an important conversation that has been started.

“We are discussing the rules and how can we be a leader in sports to have the best maternity policy.”

Speaking about Leo, her 18-monthold son, Azarenka said: “I think the tougher balance is, for me, to be able to spend time away from my son. I feel guilty if I take 15 minutes to stretch. The balance I think is the tough one.”

Following her first-round match on Monday, Serena Williams said of her daughter Alexis: “I really don’t like being away from her. It’s hard.”

The AELTC, which runs Wimbledon, says its TBA matches always have a “not before” time, which means players can make plans for the day and have more certainty than any players, other than those in the opening matches.

It said it gave Williams a seeding to ensure that there was a “balanced draw”.