Ivanka Comes to Serena Williams's Defense After 'Ridiculous' French Open Ranking Because of Maternit

[Right_in_Virginia]

Ivanka Comes to Serena Williams's Defense After 'Ridiculous' French Open Ranking Because of Maternity Leave
Townhall, May 28, 2018, Cortney O'Brien

Serena Williams was the No. 1 tennis player in the world in January of last year. She had just beaten big sister Venus to win the Australian Open for a seventh time. Oh, and she did it while being 8 weeks pregnant.

It was an incredible feat. Yet, Serena's pregnancy, which obviously kept her off the professional tennis circuit for months, is now the reason she has fallen to No. 453 in the world. She is making her comeback grand slam debut at this month's French Open in Paris. But, because her maternity leave prevented her from competing for awhile, she failed to receive a seeded ranking at the tournament, meaning she'd have to play much more difficult opponents. The old rule allowed players on maternity leave to return to the tour with the same ranking, but grumblings led to a change in policy, Williams recently explained on "The View." She suggested the policy was penalizing mothers for wanting to start a family, but she accepted it, noting that it simply meant she would have to practice and train more.

***

First daughter Ivanka Trump spoke up on the tennis star's behalf last week, calling the policy "ridiculous."

Ivanka Trump
 âœ”  @IvankaTrump   

This is ridiculous. @SerenaWilliams is a formidable athlete (best ever!) and loving new mother. No person should ever be penalized professionally for having a child! The #WTA should change this rule immediately. #FrenchOpen.http://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/23563755/serena-williams-return-french-open-unseeded-player …

1:31 PM - May 24, 2018

More:  https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2018/05/28/ivanka-comes-to-serena-williamss-defense-after-ridiculous-french-open-ranking-n2485102

[Polly Ticks]

The bigger impact isn't to Serena, but to the other players ranked in the top 10 who will now have to play her in an earlier round because she is coming in unseeded.

Regardless, there is no easy answer to the dilemma. 

[RoosGirl]

 

[edpc]

Oh, whatever.  Kim Clijsters came back in 2009, after retiring in 2007 and having a daughter in 2008.  She had to request wildcard draws for tournaments, including the US Open, which she won.

[WingNot]

I haven't watched womens tennis since they started grunting.

[edpc]

I haven't watched womens tennis since they started grunting.

Nobody topped Monica Seles at that.  She had the double grunt - one before and one after the shot.  It's probably why the guy stabbed her.

[WingNot]

Nobody topped Monica Seles at that.  She had the double grunt - one before and one after the shot.  It's probably why the guy stabbed her.

If that wasn't the reason...it should have been!   

[Polly Ticks]

Nobody topped Monica Seles at that.  She had the double grunt - one before and one after the shot.  It's probably why the guy stabbed her.

Monica was the original.  I think Azarenka is the louder/more annoying, though.  She doesn't grunt; she shrieks.

[Slide Rule]

Seeding is key to obtaining the victory. That is the thinking.

I wrestled in HS. Our coach wrestled me, and historically many others
up a weight class. That left us without a record for the year end
tournaments. So who does a person without seeding match up against?
Why it is the number one seed.

I took out a 22-0 wrestler in my first match which lead to my championship.
That someone couldn't see me coming. On my brothers team there was
a heavyweight who lost nearly 100 pounds and made weight for the tournament.
He was unseeded and pinned his way to the championship.

Serena will do fine. It is those high level players who match up against her
that are in trouble.

Viva Serena!

:)