the women's tennis association (wta) improved rule changes on monday to ensure players are not penalized upon returning from an injury (long absence) or pregnancy. the changes were prompted by the experiences of serena willliams and victoria azarenka - two former number one, and multi-major singles champions - who re-joined the tour after giving birth.
williams was unseeded at the 2018 french open; her first major after becoming a mother, despite winning the last major she played: the 2017 australian open. this year, williams was seeded #25 at wimbledon and #17 at the u.s. open, and lost in the finals of both majors.
the new rule states players who return from an injury which keeps them out of competition for a year or longer may use a special ranking in 12 tournaments. no player will get bumped from her earned seeded position.
"these changes are designed to fully support players in their return to competition, while maintaining the highest standards of athletic competition and fairness," said wta ceo and chairman steve simon. the tour will ensure women at wta tournaments "are not penalized or prohibited from wearing leggings or compression shorts, without a skirt, dress or shorts over them."
williams wore a provocative black bodysuit at the 2018 french open, where she pulled out with an injury before the fourth round. williams said she wore the compression suit because of a history of blood clots, including complications after childbirth.
this fall, the president of the french tennis federation said williams could no longer wear the bodysuit at the french open. williams responded with class and grace, but his polarizing remarks angered fans and, some of whom suggested were made with female censorship and racial overtones.
azarenka, a member of the wta players council, said she wants to make sure the wta is "the most progressive and inclusive association in sports." azarenka said, "our players should feel comfortable and confident to take time away from the courts to have a family or recover from an injury."
i am
- mark j. tuggle
- harlem, usa
- same-gender-loving contemporary descendant of enslaved africans. community activist, feminist, health educator, independent filmmaker, mentor, playwright, poet & spiritual being. featured at, in & on africana.com, afrikan poetry theatre, angel herald, bejata dot com, bet tonight with tavis smiley, blacklight online, black noir, brooklyn moon cafe, gmhc's barbershop, klmo-fm, lgbt community services center, longmoor productions, nuyorican poets cafe, our corner, poz, pulse, rolling out new york, rush arts gallery, saint veronica's church, schomburg center for research in black culture, sexplorations, the citizen, the new york times, the soundz bar, the trenton times, the village voice, upn news, uzuri, venus, vibe, wbai-fm, wnyc-fm & wqht-fm. volunteered with adodi, bailey house, inc., black men's xchange-new york, colorofchange.org, drug policy alliance, east harlem tutorial program, imagenation film & music festival, presente.org, save darfur coalition, the enough project, the osborne association, the sledge group & your black world. worked on films with maurice jamal & heather murphy. writing student of phil bertelsen & ed bullins. mjt975@msn.com.
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