What changed
Egg-freezing is becoming more visible in elite sport. Chelsea and the Spanish Football Federation have announced support for players who want to freeze their eggs, while former England netball captain Geva Mentor has described undergoing the process at 35 during her career.
Why it matters
Mentor wanted to preserve the possibility of motherhood while focusing on elite sport. She chose the off-season, underwent regular monitoring and continued training until the final injection before retrieval.
The procedure was far from a tidy pause button. Egg retrieval took place under sedation or general anaesthetic. Mentor said she woke in severe pain, described major emotional effects from the hormonal changes, and recalled the risks of bleeding and blood clots after 43 eggs were collected.
That is the tension behind the growing support. Egg-freezing can preserve eggs for possible use later, but experts stress that it is no guarantee of a future pregnancy. It may give an athlete more time and another option; it cannot promise the outcome she wants.
Mentor retired in 2025 after a 24-year elite career. Her account makes the policy question feel less like a glossy benefit and more like a serious piece of medical support: athletes need clear information about the treatment itself, as well as the hope it is meant to protect.
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