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Original poster

Serena Williams

13 replies

Faultymain5 · 21/03/2018 07:23

I don't normally post here, but Serena Williams ranking of 491 after 13 months out for her pregnancy.

On the other hand Andy Murray has been out 9 months for an injury and is still world number 29. Don't get it, on the face of it, it looks like she was extra penalised for having a baby.

Tried to find sporting page but couldn't. thought someone may have insights on here though.

OP posts:
JohnnyUtahsWetsuit · 21/03/2018 07:29

Ranking points drop off after 12 months (and are replaced with the points from the current year’s tournament, so Andy Murray still has three months of points yet to drop.

They both get protected rankings anyway, so will get automatic entry into tournaments based on their ranking before they got injured/went on maternity leave.

JaimesGoldenHand · 21/03/2018 07:46

Johnny is that right? I read that she had the play the early rounds of an upcoming tournament. But I can't remember the details.

JohnnyUtahsWetsuit · 21/03/2018 07:49

They keep the ranking so get entry to the tournaments, but they don’t get the seeding that goes with the ranking. At tournaments like Indian Wells, the top seeds get a bye into the second round. Serena wasn’t seeded so she had to play the first round.

Merrylegs · 21/03/2018 07:57

www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/blake-urges-seeding-rethink-after-williams-tough-draw. James Blake, the tournament director, agrees with you. He says she is being penalized.

HairyBallTheorem · 21/03/2018 07:57

There have been quite a few articles in the press on this CNN article . The consensus seems to be exactly as you put it in the OP - that there's an entrenched institutional sexism in the seedings system, whereby a man can keep his seeding while out for injury, but a woman loses hers while on maternity leave.

Interestingly, the director of the tournament in question (Miami Open) has commented on the blatant unfairness of it - but presumably his hands are tied by the rules.

Danglingmod · 21/03/2018 08:48

Heard this yesterday on BBC news. Pleased it's a man (the tournament director) who raised this issue. Might get listened to more... Hmm

Original poster
Faultymain5 · 21/03/2018 13:44

Thanks for this really helped with the convo I was having with someone saying 'rules is rules', 'Roger had 4 kids', 'she'll work her way back up if she wants it enough'. She probably will that doesn't mean it's right.

I'm having a problem with my daughter's tennis coach having no problem with this.

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 21/03/2018 13:48

Aren't the ranking points systems really really complex in tennis and it's all about how long it's been since someone last played

SubsidisedVowels · 21/03/2018 14:01

Faulty did someone really say to you "Roger Federer had 4 kids" as part of their argument? With a straight face?

FeministBadger · 21/03/2018 14:08

Yeah Roger Federer had four kids - which must have been a difficult 20 minutes of work for him and is totally comparable to carrying and birthing a child...

YoohooDorothy · 21/03/2018 14:28

I wonder what the solution should be? Should a woman be allowed to return after say a maximum of 12 months to the ranking amd seeding she left on? Or should there be maybe a maximum number of places she can drop?

Merrylegs · 21/03/2018 14:50

www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/03/20/james-blake-tennis-seedings-punish-serena-williams-other-returning-mothers/?utm_term=.93b80c88513c this is a good article which talks about the inequality of it (and incidentally, references Serena's birth injury where she wasn't listened to - even though if anyone knows anything about their body it's going to be her!)

I would also have a problem with a tennis coach having a problem with this - is it a he? Tell him he should agree with James Blake, who is an amazing tennis player who has also had his fair share of injury (broke his neck and still managed a career-high ranking of 4th,) and is probably the most likeable guy in tennis.

Original poster
Faultymain5 · 21/03/2018 15:59

@SubsidisedVowels

Yes, yes they did. They've likened pregnancy to an injury (think of the wonderful DelPo). So as Bitoutofpractice says, the ranking points are based on how many matches are played in the past 12 months.

But surely that would imply that there is no maternity leave in tennis.

As you can't play whilst pregnant (Yes, yes we all know Serena won whilst pregnant, but she didn't know, so it doesn't count), and you shouldn't be training for the first two months I'm thinking the ranking points should be protected for 9 months after birth and for whilst your pregnant I.e 16-18 months

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