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How many sports champs particularly women have lost their ranking due to a break after giving birth or any health situation?  The tennis world is in a major uproar after Serena Williams’ #1 ranking has dipped to an unbelievable #453.  The ugly drop has caused the 23-time champ to have to contend against the top players first according to ruling by the French Open and Women’s Tennis Association.

Williams’ peers are calling the ruling sexist and are speaking about it and if we know how Serena’s mind works she will do what’s necessary to bounce back to her rightful place.

When she does the powers that be at the French Open and the Women’s Tennis Association can “kiss her racket!!!”

Read more as reported by The Root:

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, and possibly the greatest athlete of all time, was ranked No. 1 in the world before she left her job to give birth and nurture her daughter, Alexis Olympia, as well as recover from a pulmonary embolism.

Williams, who was away from tennis for 14 months, currently has a world ranking of No. 453, mostly because of what many are calling a sexist call by the French Open and Women’s Tennis Association.

As it now stands, during the current French Open, Williams will now have to play the top seeds first, while other players work their way up to the top seed opponents.

Williams has already gotten her first post-baby win at the (notoriously racist, yes, we’re going to brand them that forevah) Indian Wells Masters in California on International Women’s Day, but fell in the third round.

Despite that, the French Open is choosing to follow the WTA rule of rankings to determine tournament seedings, when they could’ve opted to seed her where she stood before giving birth, according to the New York Times. It reports:

While all Grand Slam tournaments have the discretion to adjust their seedings, only Wimbledon ever does so, to account for players who excel or struggle on its grass surface. A communications official with the French Tennis Federation said that the French Open had never adjusted its seedings to divert from the rankings.
Many players oppose the recent rulings including current No. 1, Simona Halep, who said, “It’s normal to give birth. It’s normal to have protected ranking … in my opinion it’s good to protect the ranking when someone is giving birth.”

Maria Sharapova, Williams’ rival, said to the media that the rule needs to change. Returning from pregnancy requires “… such an incredible effort for a woman to come back from physically, emotionally,” she said.

And even Ivanka Trump got in on the debate on Thursday, tweeting that the decision was unfair:

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.https://t.co/W5jQ5aEUXm

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) May 24, 2018

A petition entitled, “Serena Williams is being punished for having a baby” is now making the rounds, reading in part: “The French Open organizers should recognize this absurdity in their system and make policies to accommodate their players and their life choices.”

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/481/313/467/serena-williams-is-being-punished-for-having-a-baby/

According to Diversity Inc., 21 of 22 people at the WTA are white, including seven male board members and CEO Steve Simon.

But we’re sure that Serena will rise above, as she always has, and grand slam the sh*t out of all the haters and misguided sexists into her next victory.

We’ll be rooting for her when she steps onto the Paris courts on Tuesday, as always.

Source: The Root