Aryna Sabalenka has welcomed the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) new transgender eligibility rules, insisting it is only fair for those competing in women’s tennis.
Announced last month, the WTA has become the latest sporting organisation to implement genetic testing in a bid to establish players’ eligibility to compete as a female.
The governing body’s previous policy permitted biological males to compete in the women’s category if they maintained testosterone levels below a certain level.
But now a tweak to the rules states that WTA players must undergo a sex screening for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is typically involved in male sex development.
Only once they have passed the test – which is completed through a simple cheek swab, blood test or saliva sample – will players be eligible to compete on the female-only WTA Tour.
A positive test, meanwhile, will spark further medical assessment before a player is cleared to play against their female rivals. Players must also sign documentation acknowledging that refusal to be tested could result in disciplinary action.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has welcomed the WTA’s new transgender eligibility rules
Last December, Sabalenka lost to Nick Kyrgios in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ exhibition in Dubai
Speaking about the move, world No 1 Sabalenka was in favour of the changes and said she would have no hesitation in undergoing the testing herself.
‘It’s very important to maintain fairness in our circuit,’ the 28-year-old said.
‘It’s obvious that, biologically, men are much stronger than women, so it wouldn’t seem fair to me for a woman to compete against a biological man.
‘I think it took them a while to make this decision and, yes, I support it.
‘But I’m concentrating on myself, on my goals, on whatever it takes. If you want to test us all, I will gladly do so, it’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way.’
Last December, Sabalenka competed in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match with Nick Kyrgios which she lost 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai. That exhibition drew much criticism, with many brandishing it as a publicity stunt that risked trivialising the women’s game.
Sabalenka isn’t alone in her thinking about the new WTA transgender rules, with tennis icon Martina Navratilova – who has been strong in her views on keeping trans athletes out of women’s sport – quick to praise the WTA for making the move last month.
Writing on X, she said it was a ‘step in the right direction’, adding: ‘I played no part in this particular policy, but am very happy that we at the WTA are clear that we are a women’s association and only women, as in females, can compete at the highest level of women’s tennis.’
Martina Navratilova (right, with the Princess of Wales at Wimbledon) has praised the policy
Other organisations, such as World Boxing and World Athletics, have already implemented similar testing for their athletes seeking to compete in the women’s category.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also confirmed it will sex test athletes ahead of the next Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
