Serena Williams backs WTA's changed rules regarding players coming back after giving birth

American tennis ace Serena Williams has welcomed the decision of Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to retain the previous ranking of the players who come back after giving birth.

The 37-year-old said that the decision will benefit the women player as they will not have to wait until the twilight of their years to have children.

"I think it's great. 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," CNN quoted Williams, as saying.

Williams bore the brunt of the previous rule as for when she took a break due to pregnancy, she was ranked world number one but after coming back she was unseeded at Indian Wells and in Miami.

"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. But now that there is an opportunity, people don't have to ask that question anymore," Williams said.

"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," she added.

Earlier this month, the WTA had confirmed that players coming back to court after giving birth would now be able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period. The players were also guaranteed that they would not have to face a seeded player in a tournament's opening round.