Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has applauded the Women's Tennis Association's decision to offer greater rankings protection to mothers returning to the WTA tour.
The change addresses issues that arose this year when Serena Williams, who returned to action after giving birth to her daughter, was unseeded for some events despite being world No.1 and the owner of 23 grand slam singles titles before taking "maternity leave" after winning last year's Australian Open.
After gathering feedback from players, including Azarenka, the WTA said its board of directors approved changes that will allow players out of competition for 52 weeks or longer to use their Special Ranking in 12 tournaments.
A player returning from pregnancy will have a three-year period to use her Special Ranking, which will now begin at the birth of the child.
For players who would qualify for a seeded position in the draw, the updated rule will ensure they will not face a seed in the opening rounds whether returning from pregnancy or injury.
Williams' ranking had fallen to No.451 when she was not seeded at the French Open, while Azarenka was unranked completely after making her comeback from childbirth 18 months ago.
The former world No.1 welcomed the rule change and hoped it paved the way for more mothers to play professional tennis - and other sports.
"I was taking a big part in all those discussions so I'm very pleased about that," Azarenka, a member of the WTA's player council, told AAP on Tuesday.
"It's a very, very big step forward and we're going to continue to make sure that our sport and our tour is the pioneer in those kind of things.
"I hope we broke the stereotype that, if you have a kid, it should stop your career and I hope that it's not going to be the case just for tennis but all the sports and other jobs so that women can have their own dreams and own careers while having a family."
The WTA also introduced modernised dress rules to take effect in 2019 after Williams caused an uproar with a black, skin-tight bodysuit she wore at Roland Garros.
The board of directors agreed players at WTA tournaments would not be prohibited from wearing leggings or compression shorts without a skirt, dress or shorts over them.
The WTA had no rule explicitly banning a player from wearing such outfits but adjusted the language of its rule to be more clear.
Among other rule changes is the introduction of a 25-second shot clock between points at premier events, with a full rollout for all WTA tournaments in 2020, in a bid to speed up the pace of play.
Players will also only be allowed one toilet/change of attire break per match, down from two.
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