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Former track and field athlete Allyson Felix shared her reaction on social media to the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) new maternity and fertility rules for 2025. The new rule will allow female tennis players to take a break from competing for a fertility protection procedure such as egg or embryo freezing. Felix, who retired from the sport in 2022, is a prominent advocate for maternity health, especially for black women.
Allyson Felix is regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all-time. She has had a highly decorated career, winning 11 Olympic medals, making her the most decorated female Olympian in track history. Felix specialized in the 100m, 200m and 400m events, highlighting her versatility. She made her international breakthrough at the 2004 Athens Olympics where she won a silver medal at the age of 18.
Felix took to Instagram to share her reaction to the WTA's new maternity rules:
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"👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿"
Allyson Felix also owns a footwear brand for women specifically named Saysh, and is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission where she provides support for athletes.
Allyson Felix says being a mother is 'the sweetest and most sacred gift'
Allyson Felix shared a message on motherhood for the occasion of Mother's Day earlier this year. Felix has two children, Camryn and Trey, who were born in 2018 and 2024, respectively.
In a post shared on Instagram, Felix wrote:
"Becoming a mother has been the sweetest and most sacred gift—one that has transformed me in ways I never imagined. It’s the greatest honor to guide, nurture, and grow alongside my children. Today, I’m also holding space for those in their season of waiting, those navigating loss, and those for whom this day feels especially heavy. You are seen, you are loved.
"I owe so much to my own mother—the strength, grace, and faith she’s passed down are woven into every part of who I am. Her love and example have shaped me not only as a woman but as the mother I strive to be."
Allyson Felix took a break from competing in 2018 due to her pregnancy and returned to the sport eight months after giving birth to Camryn. She would go on to win a bronze medal (400m) at the Tokyo Olympics and also earned two gold medals at the 2019 World Championships.
