Tennis champion Sloane Stephens is ready to fight for players’ rights to freeze their eggs whenever they want

No tennis professional has ever publicly announced that she was freezing her eggs before. Has anyone done it? Probably. In fact, it’s almost certain: it’s a incredibly common processand many women participate in the sport well into their 30s and even early 40s (Venus Williams, anybody?). But for some reason, conversations about fertility — and women’s bodies in general — are still seen as…awkward and uncomfortable, leaving them shrouded in secrecy. But the US Open champion Sloane Stephens hope to change that.

Sloane first froze her eggs in 2022, when she was 29, with a fertility care company. Nice body. She plans to do another ride at the end of this season, and it doesn’t matter who knows. In fact, the Florida native, married to former professional soccer player Joze Altidore, pretty much wants everyone We need to know this, because “it’s time we normalize female athletes making choices for themselves and their future,” she says. “Because no woman should have to choose between her career and her family.”

Not only does Sloane speak up and lead the conversation, but she also fights to make major changes to the status of women within the tennis community. She advocates for egg freezing to be a protected ranking activity within the Women’s Tennis Association, meaning players could go through the process during the season without their ranking (which dictates which tournaments they can enter) does not change due to leave.

I caught up with the ESPY winner to discuss why she’s so passionate about the topic and why she’s ready to talk about it earlier this week — and dare I say it was a grand slam? Keep reading for the conversation below.

So you are currently advocating for egg freezing to be a “protected ranking activity” in tennis, can you explain why this is so important?

Tennis is an interesting sport because you can play it for a very long time. And being a female athlete is tough in general because it can feel like you have to choose between career and family because, well, we carry the kids and our bodies are our vehicles. And it’s just not a position you want to be in, especially if you’re in a good place in your career.

For female tennis players, like me, it takes a lot of time and planning to freeze their eggs, as you need to do it in, say, the first week of your offseason, if you don’t want it to affect your game. And these logistics are a barrier for people. So I think it’s important that egg freezing, and even IVF, be added to the protected classification. This way your ranking doesn’t drop and you can still enter tournaments when you are properly healed and ready to return. (Editor’s note: Injury leave and mental health breaks are also “protected” in tennis.) Women should not have to rush to play tennis and put themselves at risk of injury.

What progress have you made so far?

We fought for this through the WTA Players Council, where they are also working to give us better maternity leave. But it’s a process. And that takes a lot of time. Egg freezing just hasn’t been done that often (in tennis), so we’re kind of starting with a blank slate and advocating for girls who might want to do it in the future.

Have you seen any changes in the tennis community yet?

Yes! I know two other professional tennis players who did it after me. We have a pretty open locker room, and I think the more we talk about it, the more people will do it. I think there always has to be a guinea pig, and I’m the one who raised my hand in this case. And I think it helped a lot of other girls feel confident in their decision to do the same thing.

What do you want to say to women who feel like they have to choose between career and family?

Just be proactive. Think about what you want and plan early. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask questions, because ultimately you will decide what you want for your future. It’s up to you. This is your journey. It’s your body. And I think that’s something that gives you power, without being afraid.

You’re also a mother-in-law, aren’t you?

Yes, our son is nine and he is awesome and makes me want to have more kids. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and have a big family. I love children, so for me, becoming a stepmom was a very easy transition.

What made you decide to embark on your own egg freezing journey?

Freezing my eyes is something I always knew I wanted to do. My grandfather was an OBGYN, so it was something we always talked about. As I got older and advanced in my career, I didn’t know how long I was going to play tennis, but I knew I didn’t want to be stopped. I didn’t want to have to stop my career to have a baby, and I didn’t want my career to dictate whether I could have a baby. So I started doing more research about egg freezing and learned about how in the future we would use it for IVF or surrogacy, and having those options was really important to me.

What was the process like for you when you first did it two years ago?

Everyone is different, and it’s obviously not easy, but I didn’t feel much pain. I did the injections for 12 days during my offseason, I was bloated and looked like I was eight months pregnant. I hung out, I did everything I normally would have done. I couldn’t play tennis, but it was still my offseason. Afterwards, egg retrieval was very simple. I remember waking up from anesthesia, having Korean barbecue, and then going to a gala that night for my foundation.

Do you remember how you felt at the end?

I was happy I did it and got the eggs. And I was happy that I was able to do it from start to finish without complications. I think women need to hear that it’s not scary, and that they can do it and be okay.

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