Mothers returning to tennis will have increased protection for their rankings on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour from next season.
Players coming back from childbirth, or injury, will now be able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period.
But Serena Williams’ wish for returning mothers to be seeded in line with that ranking has not been granted.
The WTA has instead decided to guarantee they will not face a seeded player in a tournament’s opening round.
As things stand, players must begin their comeback within two years, and then have a further year in which they can enter eight events under their protected ranking – the ranking held at the start of their absence.
Those rules also apply to players returning from injury.
Meanwhile, West Indies captain Rovman Powell said today his men were “upbeat and confident” of clinching the deciding one-day international against Bangladesh and sealing their first series win in four years.
The touring side won Tuesday’s match in Dhaka by four wickets after losing the opener, levelling the three-match contest 1-1 and setting the stage for a series decider tomorrow.
The Caribbean side last won an ODI series in 2014 at home against Bangladesh and are desperate to end the drought.
