Germany's Tatjana Maria, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, wants the WTA Tour to provide childcare facilities at more tournaments for tennis mums, while also calling for pregnancy and medical conditions to be classified separately
Wednesday 14 June 2023 07:05, UK
Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria has called for childcare facilities to be provided for mums on the WTA Tour at more tournaments as well as calling for pregnancy and medical conditions to be classified separately.
The German, currently ranked 67, married former tennis player turned coach Charles-Edouard Maria in 2013 before giving birth to their first daughter, Charlotte, seven months later.
She then took another break from the tour to give birth to Cecilia in 2021 before returning to the circuit at the age of 34 and went on to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year.
There are a number of currently active players on the tour who are mums, including Victoria Azarenka, Taylor Townsend, Yanina Wickmayer, Evgeniya Rodina and Elina Svitolina, who is back on tour after giving birth to her and Gael Monfils' baby daughter Skai last October.
With a growing number of parents, Maria has called on the Women's Tennis Association to make childcare facilities more freely accessible rather than just at the Grand Slams and a handful of other events - including the 1000 tournaments.
"We have two girls, Charlotte and Ceci [Cecilia] - they are both playing amazing tennis so we are travelling everywhere together," said Maria, who has three singles titles to her name.
"It looks like it [they will become tennis players]. I practice everyday with Charlotte and Ceci is just two years old and is hitting the ball already. My husband has a big job."
The 35-year-old has also welcomed the return of Svitolina to the tour after the Ukrainian reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in her first Grand Slam since given birth eight months ago.
"Everybody is different but I came back three months after my pregnancies, it was going pretty fast," Maria said. "I'm happy for her [Svitolina]. It's super important to have all the mums out there playing good tennis. I hope it makes the WTA change some rules and help the mums on tour."
With issues over insurance and the tour constantly moving around the globe, not all smaller tournaments are able to provide facilities, but they do compensate this with prize money, transport, food, hotels and nutrition for all players.
However, Maria believes more should be done by the governing body as well as changing the rules for mums coming back to the tour.
The ranking rules are the same as injuries, not pregnancy. I don't think being pregnant is an injury. This should be changed.
Currently, players returning to the game after a maternity break or an injury are now allowed to use their ranking at the time of leaving, for a period of three years. This ranking can be used to enter 12 tournaments within a three-year duration, but the German feels maternity leave and injury should be classified separately.
"We have only day care in the Grand Slams - that's sad for us. It would be nice for the kids to have day care in the other tournaments," she said.
"There also needs to be rules brought in for pregnancy when mums are coming back on tour. I think this should be changed too as there lots more new mums on tour. The ranking rules are the same as injuries, not pregnancy. I don't think being pregnant is an injury. This should be changed.
"We are lucky as we can travel together - it's so important to have my two kids with me. I couldn't do it without them. We are in a perfect position as my husband is my coach - of all three of us! So, it's a perfect combination as we have the grandma of the kids with us too and she's helping."
