More WTA Players are earning degrees while competing at the highest level

Powered by partnerships with IUE, the University of Florida, and others, WTA players are turning coursework into long-term career planning.

In an era where packed travel schedules and nonstop competition define life on tour, a growing number of WTA players are embracing a different kind of challenge: earning a college degree.

An exclusive feature in Forbes spotlights this trend, anchored by a long-running partnership between the WTA and Indiana University East (IUE). Originally developed to support athletes seeking education alongside their careers, the program has become a pathway to graduation for players at all stages of their journey.

Venus Williams was the first to complete her degree through the collaboration, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2015. Since then, 23 more players have graduated through IUE --including Sloane Stephens, Magda Linette, Nicole Melichar, Shelby Rogers, Marie Bouzkova, Caroline Dolehide and Cici Bellis. In May 2025, Kayla Day became the latest to cross the stage, receiving her psychology degree as part of IUE’s spring commencement.

Indiana University East

While some players attend in person, others celebrate their achievement in unique ways. In 2021, Linette, Melichar, Rogers and Teodora Mircic marked their graduation at a special cap-and-gown ceremony during the Western & Southern Open, just over an hour south of IUE’s campus. The WTA and IUE work together to make accommodations, from virtual commencements to rolling admission and flexible academic calendars, that align with the demands of life on tour.

According to WTA Vice President of Player Development Tom Livengood, enrollment continues to rise, often thanks to word-of-mouth. “Although we provide information about the program during new member orientation, word of mouth accounts for much of the recruiting,” he told Forbes. “Hearing it from a peer, from a former player or a current player, is really going to help them put it into perspective.”

The IUE program is now one of several educational offerings supported by the WTA and the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association (WTBA). Other options include graduate degree scholarship programs at the University of Florida and short courses and MBAs offered through the University of Palermo. Former Top 50 player Anna Tatishvili recently completed her master’s degree in journalism and communications at UF, after earning her undergraduate degree through IUE.

Indiana University East

Not every player has a long or financially secure career. Some, like Victoria Duval -- who famously upset Sam Stosur at the 2013 US Open, then survived a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma -- turned to education as a way to prepare for what’s next. Duval graduated summa cum laude in business administration from IUE in 2021. “I believe that acquiring a degree is important to obtain better opportunities in life and it’s an accomplishment you will be proud of,” she told the WTA.

For WTA athletes, many of whom are competing in this year’s Roland Garros, education is no longer an afterthought or a retirement plan. It’s an integral part of their careers.

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