The Women’s Tennis Association has overhauled its eligibility rules, announcing this week that all players will be required to undergo a one-time genetic test to establish whether they qualify to compete in women’s tennis.
According to a Reuters report outlining the new policy details, athletes will be tested for the presence of the SRY gene, which plays a role in determining biological sex. Players can fulfill the requirement through either a cheek swab or a blood test.
A WTA spokesperson shared the following statement with Reuters: “Player screening will begin in 2026, following all appropriate confidentiality and data privacy safeguards and concurrent with a comprehensive player engagement program. The WTA recognizes that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way.”
Under the organization’s previous rules, transgender women were permitted to compete provided their testosterone levels had remained below a designated threshold for at least two years before participation. It is worth noting that no transgender women are currently known to be active on the professional tennis circuit.
The WTA’s decision mirrors a similar one-time testing policy adopted by the International Olympic Committee earlier this spring. The World Athletics federation and the World Boxing federation have also put comparable testing measures in place.
The policy has sparked debate among both current and retired players, with some voicing approval and others raising objections. Critics contend that the testing amounts to discrimination.
Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion and longtime advocate for gay rights, has spoken out against allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Current world No. 1 player Aryna Sabalenka has expressed a similar position.
On the other side of the debate, Billie Jean King — widely remembered for her landmark “battle of the sexes” victory in 1973 — has characterized the exclusion of transgender athletes as a form of discrimination.
