Women’s sport has reached previously unheard-of heights, 2023 is expected to be the year that great athletes who are still in the prime of their careers challenge the idea that one should put off having children until one is either retired or nearing the end of their careers.
Abbie Ward, a Rugby World Cup finalist, 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov, and Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, have all already announced they are having a baby this year.
When they announced their news to the public, they all used a similar, empowering message to declare their intention to take their infants back to their respective sporting theatres of dreams.
The maternity, pregnant parent, and adoption leave policies at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will “normalise parenthood,” according to Osaka, who is expecting her first child and intends to tour again in 2024.
Having shared on social media about her pregnancy in late January, Ward, who nearly missed winning the World Cup for the Red Roses in November, said: “I can’t wait to have my mini-me pitch side next season and show that athletes can be parents too.”
Popov added in her announcement post, “Looking forward to my comeback as a #lpgamom”. Osaka had previously written, “I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch my matches and tell someone, that’s my mom.”
Even Rihanna, a nine-time Grammy winner, changed the perception of what pregnant women should and shouldn’t be doing with her stunning half-time performance at the Super Bowl last month with her baby bump prominently on display.
In an effort to speed up their maternity policies, revamp outdated ones, or, in some cases, start a long overdue discussion about how to support their athletes and their growing family, governing bodies are starting to sit up and take notice of the new narrative being shaped by pregnant athletes.
The RFU introduced a “ground-breaking” new maternity policy last month for contracted England players that includes not just 26 weeks of paid leave but also allows players to bring their infant to away games and competitions with travel expenses covered by the governing body.
After Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, rejoined the tour after the birth of her daughter in 2018, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) began revising its own maternity policy, allowing players to freeze their ranking to enter events and use for up to a year after their comeback.
Pregnancy in sport need not be the topic of the eye-opening debate it has been in recent years, thanks to elite athletes in the peak of their careers who are now driving the dialogue and pressuring regulatory bodies into action.