Mothers reign at Wimbledon as Serena Williams, Evgeniya Rodina face off

Twenty-three-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams faces Russia's Evgeniya Rodina at Wimbledon on Monday in what The New York Times described as a "a rare tennis meeting of mothers."

This year's singles group includes a total of six mothers, many of whom are outspoken advocates of changing the way the Women's Tennis Association treats motherhood. Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, for example, has fought to grant women returning from maternity leave seeding considerations; Wimbledon took steps to give 183rd-ranked Williams the No. 25 seed as she has returned from maternity leave.

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.