Sloane Stephens calls for protected classification in egg freezing

Egg freezing is the process of collecting and freezing a woman’s eggs so that she can have children in the future.

Cricket World Cup winner Nat Sciver-Brunt recently spoke about her decision to freeze her eggs so she can continue her career and have a child after retirement.

“People put it off because they don’t want to miss out. We’re all self-employed and we’re really just on our own if you get pregnant or decide to freeze your eggs,” said former world number three Stephens.

“It would be very helpful for a lot of girls because it would be a lot less scary.

“More people should do it and be proactive about it because then they wouldn’t feel the pressure to jump straight back into the sport if they’re not ready.”

Stephens said she had “no problem being a guinea pig” during the procedure.

“I think it was something I always wanted to do. My grandfather was an OBGYN (obstetrician-gynecologist), so it was something we always talked about and it was a very open conversation,” she said.

“Of course I never knew how long I would play tennis. I never knew that I would become one of the best players in the world.

“Family planning and being proactive and planning for the future is not scary. It is something very normal and natural.”

Two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka told BBC Sport in May that she would like to see maternity leave introduced on the WTA Tour.

In recent years, many mothers have returned to tennis. Serena Williams is perhaps the most famous of these. She reached four Grand Slam finals after having her first daughter, Olympia, in 2017.

Under current WTA rules, returning mothers have three years from the birth of their child to claim a special ranking.

Players returning from a year of medical absence or maternity leave can use their special ranking for placement.

The board of the women’s trip also provides maternal health care and information.

“The WTA has supported athletes for over 50 years and has one of the strongest health and wellbeing infrastructures in professional women’s sport today,” a WTA statement said to BBC Sport.

“There are currently approximately 20 mothers participating in the WTA. The WTA is committed to supporting each player’s unique health journey and providing world-class maternal care, policies, benefits and education.

“From medical academic research to the private sector, the WTA Women’s Health Taskforce is currently working to collaboratively identify and evaluate further benefits and policies for fertility preservation, paid maternity leave, and childcare support that align with the WTA’s standards, ethics, integrity, equal access, and fairness in a competitive environment.”