Alexis Ohanian’s perspective on parental leave shifted dramatically from his own birth to the arrival of his daughter, Olympia. In 1983, his father took a single vacation day off work. Contrast that with 2017, when Ohanian, after his wife Serena Williams endured a harrowing emergency C-section and subsequent complications, took a full 16 weeks of paid paternity leave, a policy then in place at Reddit, the company he co-founded. Interestingly, he admits paternity leave wasn’t something he’d given much thought to before. However, he then recognized the privilege of not having to choose between his job and his family, a choice many parents face. Now, with the rise of women’s sports and an increasing focus on parental needs, the WTA has addressed those demands, and Ohanian was among the first to acknowledge this significant step.
On Thursday, the WTA announced that it will provide paid maternity leaves to female players. In fact, 320 players have been made eligible already to avail the benefits, including 12 months of paid leave. Saudi Arabia’s PIF (Public Investment Fund) backs the latest initiative. It will provide the financial strength to the agency in its efforts for the welfare of tennis moms. Announcing the program during a press conference, WTA CEO Portia Archer said,
“It can be challenging to balance the physical and emotional demands of a professional tennis career with the complexities of motherhood and family life. For some time, we have been exploring how we can increase our support for players to help them become parents at a time of their choice.” reported WTA’s website. “Independent contractors and self-employed individuals don’t typically have these kinds of maternity benefits provided and available to them. They have to go out and sort of figure out those benefits for themselves. This is really sort of novel and groundbreaking,” she added.
“Smart Move @WTA”, Ohanian wrote on X while reacting to a post on WTA’s paid maternity leave program. Coincidently, the post featured Serena’s picture with daughter Olympia.
Smart move @WTA https://t.co/CYtNEXWW8Z
— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) March 6, 2025
Interesting fact: The program — which the WTA touted as “the first time in women’s sports history that comprehensive maternity benefits are available to independent, self-employed athletes” — also provides grants for fertility treatments, including egg freezing and IVF.
Currently, 25 tennis moms are active on WTA tour. They include the likes of Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic. Last month, she won her second Abu Dhabi title, after returning from maternity leave following the birth of her daughter Bella in April 2024. Other names also include Naomi Osaka. She came back last season after giving birth to her daughter Shai in 2023. There are other pros as well, like Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki, and former World No.1 Viktoria Azarenka.
The 2012 and 2013 Australian Open winner Viktoria Azarenka seems happy. A mother of 8-year-old son, Leo, she also happens to be a member of the WTA Players’ Council. Azarenka said, the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program is “just the beginning.” “It’s an incredible beginning. Monumental change,” she said. “But I think we can look into how we can expand this fund for bigger, better things.”
She also mentioned how players can now decide to become parents before retiring. “Every feedback we’ve heard from players who are mothers — or who are not mothers — is like, ‘Wow, this is an incredible opportunity for us,’” she added as reported by Associated Press on March 7. She also believes “it’s really going to change the conversation in sports. But going beyond sports, it’s a global conversation, and I’m happy that we’re (part of it).”
For the uninitiated, other sports like golf, basketball, and soccer have inculcated a similar pattern in recent years. For example, in golf, the LPGA brought a maternity leave policy in 2019. It allows female athletes to have the same playing status upon returning from maternity leaves.
In soccer, both the NWSL and the U.S. women’s national team have collective bargaining agreements (CBA). They allow for parental and pregnancy leaves. Plus, the NSWL pays full base salary while an athlete is pregnant. Similarly, the WNBA also features the CBA policy that allows for full payment of salary to the players during maternity leaves.
But Ohanian isn’t the only who has been calling for such a big transformation.
When Serena Williams expressed a dire need for paid parental leaves
Back in 2019, during an interview with People magazine, dated August 26, Serena Williams didn’t mince words on the challenges faced by working mothers. Considering her own situation, she said, “I have my own job and I make my own schedule, but even then I still have commitments, and I can’t imagine moms that get two weeks off and have to go back to work.”
After giving birth to Olympia, Williams went on a 13-month maternity leave before returning on the court in March 2018 at the Indian Wells. “It’s impossible. I couldn’t have done it. I literally couldn’t have done it,” she added while feeling lucky to have husband Ohanian by her side during her difficult pregnancy phase. “[Parental leave is] so important for both parents.”
In 2019, Ohanian talked about how men are expected to mostly work outside. “Serena and I were lucky enough to have help at home and many other advantages working in our favor. But even with all of that privilege, including my ability to focus solely on my family and not worry about keeping my job, it was still incredibly difficult.”
He also cited a concerning data, suggesting that only 9 percent of workplaces in the US provide paid paternity leaves to male employees. And that 76 percent of fathers try to resume their work sooner due to the fear of losing the job. Continuing further, he added, “Nothing could have dragged me away from my wife and daughter in those hours, days and weeks — and I’m grateful that I was never forced to choose between my family and my job.”
What are your thoughts on WTA’s latest initiative for tennis moms? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Parental Leave Champion and Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Praises WTA’s Landmark Move for Tennis Moms appeared first on EssentiallySports.