Serena Williams backs rule changes to help players wanting to have kids

Serena Williams says the Women’s Tennis Association’s changes to the special ranking rule could encourage players to take career breaks earlier than she did to have children.

The 37-year-old American gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017 and returned to the WTA circuit in March at Indian Wells.

“I think it’s great,” said Williams of the rule changes as she spoke ahead of an exhibition match against sister Venus in Abu Dhabi on Thursday at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

“Women that are younger can go out there and have kids and not have to worry about it and not have to wait until the twilight of their years to have children and I think it’s a really great rule,” added the 23-time grand slam champion.

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Under the WTA’s new rules, which will take effect in 2019, a player’s ranking freezes in the event of injury, illness or pregnancy.

As part of the modifications, players returning from pregnancy or long-term injury will be able to use their special ranking at additional tournaments and for seeding purposes.

For pregnancy, that time period now begins at the birth of the child, and players can use that special ranking for three years.

The changes, the organization says, will make it easier for women who want to start a family to return to competition.

The first of many. A 17-year-old Williams beats Martina Hingis at the 1999 US Open in straight sets to win her first major title.

Conquering clay. Serena beats sister Venus at Roland Garros 7-5 6-3 in 2002 to claim her second grand slam at the French Open.

A few weeks later, Serena makes it a hattrick of grand slams with victory over Venus at the Wimbledon final in July 2002.

Serena comes out on top after another final with Venus, beating her sister in straight sets to win her second US Open title in 2002.

A grand slam of grand slams -- the first "Serena Slam." Serena wins a first Australian Open title -- and a fourth major on the trot -- by beating Venus in three sets in 2003.

Serena wins the 2003 Wimbledon final 4-6 6-4 6-2 against sister Venus to defend her crown.

A second Australian Open title for Serena and a seventh grand slam after a 2-6 6-3 6-0 victory over compatriot Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 Melbourne final.

Victory over Maria Sharapova in the 2007 final secures a third Australian Open title for Serena.

Serena on Times Square with the US Open trophy, a title she won without dropping a set at the 2008 tournament.

Ten years of grand slam success and a 10th major for Serena as she beats Dinara Safina in straight sets at the Australian Open final in 2009.

Another victory over sister Venus in a Wimbledon final and Serena clinches her third title at SW19 in 2009.

Serena poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy in 2010, her fifth Australian Open title.

A two-year wait, but Serena notches a 14th major with yet more success at Wimbledon. She beats Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 5-7 6-2 in the 2010 final to level with sister Venus with five Wimbledon titles.

Wimbledon 2012 was Williams' first grand slam since spending almost a year out of action between summer 2010 and 2011 with a leg injury and subsequent pulmonary embolism.

Thirteen years after her first US Open title, Serena grabs a fourth by beating world No.1 Victoria Azarenka in the final

Serena with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy in front of the Eiffel Tower after victory over Sharapova in the 2013 final.

Another US Open for Serena, beating Azarenka in the 2013 final for the second successive year.

Victory at the US Open in 2014 moves Williams to joint-fourth in the all-time list of major winners, alongside Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Another fine start to a year as Williams wins the 2015 Australian Open -- once again beating Sharapova in a major final.

A second grand slam of the year and a third French Open after a 6-3 6-7 6-2 win over Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in 2015.

A third major title of the year thanks to a straight-sets win over Spain's Garbine Muguruza in the 2015 Wimbledon final. But there was to be no "Serena Slam'"of four majors in the same calendar year.

A seventh Wimbledon title for the then world No.1 and now equal with Steffi Graf's Open era record of major titles. "This court definitely feels like home," says Williams after her straight sets win over Angelique Kerber in 2016.

At the start of 2017, sister Venus is beaten in straight sets as a seventh Australian Open is secured and an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title won. Later we would find out she won while pregnant with her first child.

Serena Williams: 23 grand slams and history

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When Williams took a break she was ranked No. 1 in the world. When she returned to play in March after giving birth to her daughter, she was unseeded at Indian Wells and in Miami, losing early in both tournaments.

She also was unseeded in the French Open, her first grand slam event in her comeback.

“I think having gone through the experience myself really opened my eyes up to me and, ‘Would I have done it sooner had there been different rule changes?’ I don’t know,” said Williams, who is currently No. 16 in the world.

“But now that there is an opportunity, people don’t have to ask that question anymore.

Serena Williams has taken tennis fashion to new heights. In New York she wore a $500 black-and-brown one-shoulder silhouette dress with tulle skirt for her 2018 US Open debut.

Williams, playing her first home Slam since giving birth to her first child last year, entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium in a black bomber jacket with white trim.

Williams turned heads with her striking black catsuit in the first round of the 2018 French Open in Paris -- tournament organizers have since tightened dress codes for next year, meaning the catsuit will be consigned to the closet.

The 23-time grand slam champion was playing in her first major since giving birth to her first child in September. "I feel like a warrior princess in it," she told reporters. " I'm always living in a fantasy world. I always wanted to be a superhero, and it's kind of my way of being a superhero."

The 36-year-old American said the skintight suit also served a practical purpose after enduring a difficult childbirth. "I had a lot of problems with my blood clots. So there is definitely a little functionality to it," she said.

Williams sticks with black and pink during the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York.

Serena attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California.

Serena enjoyed an astonishing 2015 season -- winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. She missed the China Open and WTA finals after revealing she needed time to recover from a grueling year.

At the beginning —

Serena sports a beaded hairstyle as she celebrates her first U.S. Open title -- and her first major -- back in 1999.

Parisian style —

Serena Williams poses on court after triumphing in the 2015 French Open final.

In the pink —

Serena blasts down a powerful serve on her way to another victory.

Height of fashion —

In 1999, Williams enrolled at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Florida to study fashion design. Here, she shows a collection of her designs at the 2012 Australian Open.

If the cap fits... —

Williams, the world's No. 1 player, serves during a training session ahead of the 2015 French Open in Paris.

Traditional values —

Williams celebrated her sixth Wimbledon title in 2015, resplendent in the All England Club's traditional all-white attire. It meant she held all four grand slam titles, going back to the 2014 U.S. Open -- her second "Serena Slam."

The cat's whiskers —

Serena sported a catsuit when she played Corina Morariu during the 2002 U.S. Open. That title was the third leg of her first non-calendar "Serena Slam," which she completed months later at the 2003 Australian Open.

Making an entrance —

Williams waves to the crowd as she enters stadium court before her match against Monica Niculescu of Romania at Indian Wells in 2015.

Glowing performance —

In a neon yellow outfit, Serena celebrates against Eleni Daniilidou of Greece during the 2012 Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.

Blue moment —

Williams looks crestfallen as she reflects on a point that got away.

Suitable occasion —

A more formally-attired Serena celebrates one of her six victories at the U.S. Open.

Black and white image —

The Florida resident has triumphed at the US Open in New York six times.

Power play —

With her hair -- which she once described as "super crazy" -- tied back, Serena blasts a shot in a match against Ana Ivanovic in Cincinnati.

Out of the shadows —

Serena serves on a sunny day at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Up in the air —

Williams celebrates after winning the Madrid Open final against Maria Sharapova in 2013.

Hair-raising —

Serena sports a new style at the Australian Open in 2013.

Serena Williams: Stylish superstar

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“I think it’s a great rule change. But I feel like it’s just something that’s always going to be there and be special and I’m happy that they did it.”

Thursday’s exhibition match was Serena’s first since she lost the US Open final to Naomi Osaka in September.

Japan’s Osaka won the final 6-2, 6-4 after a match which saw Williams warned for coaching, penalized a point for smashing her racket and then docked a game for an outburst in which she called the umpire, Carlos Ramos, a “thief” and a “liar.”

“I’m feeling good. I’ve been training for a couple of months now and I’m getting ready for the new year,” said Williams.

The American claimed her record 23rd grand slam title in Melbourne in the early stages of pregnancy and didn’t play again for the rest of 2017.

Her latest return also ended in defeat to Venus in a third set tiebreaker and she will now head to Perth in Australia to play in the Hopman Cup to complete her preparations for next month’s Australian Open.