Australian boxing champion Ruby Singh has revealed she has frozen her eggs, joining a growing number of women who are prioritising their careers before starting a family.
Ms Singh, in her mid-30s and ranked among the world’s top 10, won the WBC Asia Championship belt in April and is now preparing to head to the United States to chase her next world title.
While her focus remains on boxing glory, Ms Singh said she didn’t want to risk her chances of having children later in life.
She has just completed an egg-freezing cycle at Adora Fertility in Australia – a move she said has lifted the weight of the ‘ticking clock’ many women in their 30s feel.
‘Freezing my eggs had always been at the back of my mind,’ she said. ‘In my early 30s I started to think about it but I didn’t really make a move because I was travelling around a little bit.’
The turning point came after Ms Singh watched comedian Andrew Schulz’s Netflix special Life, in which he openly discussed IVF and egg freezing.
‘After I finished my fight, I knew I was going to be home for a few months before heading back to the US,’ Ms Singh said.
‘[The comedy special] sort of reminded me and I thought it was perfect timing for me to freeze my eggs.’
Australian boxing champion Ruby Singh has frozen her eggs – a decision she says gives her peace of mind as she chases world titles in her mid-30s
Ranked among the world’s top 10, Ms Singh chose to freeze her eggs in Australia before heading to the US for her next fight – ensuring her future family plans don’t get sidelined by her career.
Ms Singh chose to undergo the procedure in Australia rather than interrupt her gruelling training schedule while overseas.
‘Australia is the best place to do it out of everywhere I’ve been in terms of affordability and everything and the support you get,’ she said.
‘I knew I’d be deep into a training camp overseas and once you get the momentum going and you’re training for a world title shot you can’t pause for a few months, go egg freeze and then just restart the process.
‘It’s a valuable time for me and my boxing career. I can’t afford to just pause halfway. So I thought, before I even start that journey of training for a world title, I would freeze my eggs.’
Ms Singh said she dreams of one day having ‘four or five kids’ – and the decision has brought her peace of mind.
‘I don’t have to think about my biological clock when I’m focused and trying to fight someone, it just gives a little bit more control,’ she said.
‘I’m egg banking right now, so I’m doing a few sessions so I have enough by the time I’m ready to have kids and that gives me a sense of relief.
‘I know it’s not a guaranteed outcome, like the chance of having a kid depending on how many eggs you freeze, but as long as you’re aware of it, I think it’s a great idea.’
Raised in a traditional Indian-Australian family, Ms Singh’s path as a professional boxer wasn’t always embraced
She added freezing her eggs has given her a sense of relief as she no longer stresses about her biological clock
Raised in a traditional Indian-Australian family where marriage and children often define success, Ms Singh said her career choice as a professional boxer was not always embraced.
Her parents now cheer her on from the sidelines but still ask when she will settle down.
‘Initially, when I told [my mum], she was like, “Why don’t you just get married?”,’ Ms Singh said.
‘I told her I just can’t find a husband at a store and then just immediately have kids.
‘It gives her relief that I’m actually thinking about having a family and want to have a family, rather than just letting the days go by and getting to an age where it’s not an option anymore.’
Her message to other women considering egg freezing is simple: start planning.
‘You don’t have to go ahead with it yet, but find a clinic and start thinking about it so you can write it on your to-do list,’ Ms Singh said.
‘Then you have an idea of the price and everything, and then once you’re ready to go and you have the funds, you don’t have to spend months searching for a clinic or waiting on tests.’
Egg-freezing is becoming increasingly common in Australia, with almost 7,000 procedures carried out in 2022 – nearly double the 3,500 recorded in 2020, according to the Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database.
Ms Singh’s parents still ask her when she will settle down
Dr Charley Zheng, a Fertility Specialist at Adora Fertility, said the clinic had seen a 20 per cent increase in women freezing eggs in the past two to three years.
‘Anyone aged around 35 to 37 or below who has the opportunity to freeze their eggs, should,’ Dr Zheng said.
He added that the procedure can help women feel ‘freed from the biological clock’ and is vital for patients with endometriosis or those undergoing cancer treatment.
‘Egg freezing is future-proofing,’ Dr Zheng said. ‘It allows social circumstances, like dating and finding a compatible partner, to run its course.’
