Ivanka Trump is serving up her support for Serena Williams, calling on the Women’s Tennis Association to change a rule that prevented the tennis star from getting a seeding at the upcoming French Open.
“This is ridiculous,” Trump tweeted, linking to an article about the controversy.
She continued, “@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.”
Returning to the French Open for the first time since giving birth to a baby girl last September, Williams is currently ranked No. 453 in the WTA rankings, making her road to a fourth French Open championship difficult. Before her pregnancy, she was ranked No. 1.
“This year again, tournament officials will establish the list and ranking of the women’s seeds based on the WTA ranking,” the French Tennis Federation said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. “Consequently, [the seeds] will reflect this week’s world ranking.”
The policy has prompted calls for change from Trump and Williams’ fellow tennis players alike.
Williams announced her pregnancy on social media last April; she had secretly been pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January 2017.