The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that players who choose to undergo fertility protection procedures will be allowed to take time away from the sport and return with a protected ranking. This new rule is designed to support women athletes to balance their family goals and career ambitions. It comes three months after the WTA offered players up to 12 months of paid maternity leave for the first time. The rule means that players can take time away from professional tennis for a fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing and return to competition with a protected ranking. Eligible players will receive a Special Entry Ranking (SER), which can be used to enter up to three tournaments, based on the 12-week average of their WTA Ranking from eight weeks prior to the start of their out-of-competition period. The WTA also said players will benefit from paid maternity leave and grants for fertility protection through the WTA Maternity Fund sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.